It鈥檚 going to be harder than ever to pitch your tent inside a national park this summer. Scoring a campsite at our popular parks is difficult during any stretch of warmer months, when parks see a surge in visitation. And the Trump-mandated National Park Service layoffs are adding an extra wrinkle to many summer travel plans. Some park units have had to delay the release of their campground reservations, while others are choosing to keep certain campgrounds closed for the summer due to staffing issues. In other words, if you don鈥檛 already have a reservation for a campsite in a national park,听you probably aren鈥檛 going to get one.

Have no fear. I鈥檝e been in your shoes multiple times, rolling into national parks in search of a legal spot to pitch my tent, only to be turned away because every campground was fully booked. What I鈥檝e learned over the years is that the campgrounds inside national parks aren鈥檛 the only camping options available. Many of our park units are surrounded by national forest and BLM land, which often offer less crowded campgrounds, many of which are first come/first serve.

The rise of platforms like Hipcamp has resulted in many private landowners welcoming campers to their farms and ranches near parks. So if you鈥檙e hoping to explore some of our popular national parks this summer, you have more camping options than you may听realize.

I鈥檝e consulted with the folks at Hipcamp, begged for secrets from other adventurers, and compiled some of my own favorite campsites to create this list of the best campgrounds near the most popular national parks in the country.

Yosemite National Park, California

Summer in Yosemite National Park is amazing. The waterfalls, the perfect weather, the picture-perfect granite domes.It’s so incredible that听it can feel as if听 all of America has descended on the valley to witness the beauty. All of Yosemite鈥檚 require a reservation during the summer, and those spots are snagged fast. Reservations are being released late this year because of the staffing issues, so there鈥檚 still a chance you could snag a campsite for fall (reservations for September 15 to October 14 are being released on June 15), but if you want to hit Yosemite during the summer, you鈥檒l need to camp elsewhere.

Evergreen Lodge: Groveland, California听

is a full-on outdoor resort with historic cabins, a general store, onsite adventure guides and a campus full of lawn games like bocce and ping pong. It also has a campground full of brand new for 2025 glamping tents (from $210 a night), each of which comes with full access to the resort amenities, from the salt water swimming pool to the nightly s鈥檓ores around the campfire.听The best part? It鈥檚 located just one mile from Yosemite鈥檚 less-crowded Hetch Hetchy entrance in the northwest corner of the park. From there, it鈥檚 a little over an hour to Yosemite Valley, but you don鈥檛 have to venture that far to experience the park. Hetch Hetchy is loaded with hikes, lakes, and waterfalls. If you鈥檙e up for an adventure, hike the 13-mile out and back to , which wraps around the Hetch Hetchy Reservoir, in the shadow of Hetch Hetchy Dome, before ending at a long series of cascades through a narrow gorge just upstream of the eastern edge of the manmade lake.

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McCabe Flat Campground, BLM Land听

The BLM operates three established campgrounds on the Merced River off of Highway 140 near the western edge of Yosemite, all of which are first come first serve. is the best, with just 11 sites and access to a sandy beach and deep swimming hole on the river. Obviously, bring your swimmies and sunscreen.

Yellowstone National Park, Montana

Ah, Yellowstone鈥eysers, wildlife, and some of the most popular (read: hard to book) campgrounds in the entire national park system. Fortunately, Yellowstone is flanked by Custer Gallatin National Forest, which operates 14 campgrounds within 35 miles of the park. Add to that the bevy of privately owned campgrounds in the direct vicinity of Yellowstone, and you have plenty of options for bedding down this summer.

Canyon Campground, Custer Gallatin National Forest听

Most of the forest service campgrounds near Yellowstone require reservations, which are released six months in advance, so you might have a hard time scoring one of those sites at this point. But has 17 sites (just $10 a night) are first come/first serve, and they sit near the Yellowstone River just 16 miles from the north entrance to the park. It鈥檚 not fancy (there are no showers, no hookups, but many of the sites are surrounded by large boulders, and you can鈥檛 beat the convenience or price. Get there midweek if you want to score a spot.

Camp Steelhead: West Yellowstone, Idaho听

The privately-owned sits on two acres with three sites tucked into the pines, all of which are RV and van-life friendly. There鈥檚 plenty of space to spread out if you鈥檙e with a group (each site sleeps up to 12), and a trail on an old railroad grade begins on the property that delivers a view of the Buffalo River. The small campground has a porta-potty, water and electrical hookups, and it鈥檚 just 30 minutes to the West Yellowstone Entrance (from $85 a night).

Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming听

Jackson and Grand Teton National Park can feel like a zoo during the summer, particularly if you鈥檙e looking to pitch a tent in the. Reservations fill fast because of the scenery (the campground has loops on the picture-perfect Jenny Lake with the Tetons looming large in the background) as well as the fact that it鈥檚 the only campground in the park that doesn鈥檛 allow RVs and generators, so it鈥檚 a bit quieter. I just checked the availability for Jenny Lake and there鈥檚 exactly one site available on a random Tuesday night in July, so check out these options instead.

Mike Harris Campground, Targhee National Forest听

Caribou-Targhee National Forest has four campgrounds in the Teton Basin Ranger District, just west of Grand Teton National Park, not to mention miles of dirt roads with established (and free) dispersed campsites to choose from. The wins based on its location: it鈥檚 situated on the Teton Pass, a few miles from Victor, Idaho, and just 22 miles from the Granite Canyon Entrance to the park, near Teton Village, and 20 miles from downtown Jackson. It鈥檚 a small campground, just 12 sites, half of which you can reserve six months in advance, the other half are first come/first serve. I like having some first come/first serve options, especially if you can get there mid-week, but get this; the last time I checked, there are still plenty of reservable sites available throughout the summer. The sites are tucked into a forest of lodgepole pines and Douglas firs with plenty of privacy, and you鈥檒l have access to Trail Creek, which has healthy populations of cutthroat and brook trout. Spots are just $17 a night.

Ranchita Corazon of the Tetons: Teton, Idaho听

How about boondocking on a two-acre horse farm with an unobstructed view of the Tetons? That鈥檚 what you get when you book with , which has a single spot for RVs and van lifers complete with water and electricity. There鈥檚 even a sauna on the property. The farm sits near the Idaho/Wyoming border, under an hour from the Jenny Lake Visitor Center. Spots start at $70 a night.

Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado

Rocky Mountain National Park had more than 4 million visitors last year, making it the fifth most visited park in the country. That鈥檚 nothing new, as it has been a perennial favorite for more than a decade. I tried grabbing a campsite at the last minute several years ago, and ended up pitching a tent in a Yogi Bear鈥檚 Jellystone Campground well outside of the park. My kids enjoyed the campground鈥檚 putt putt course, but it wasn鈥檛 the serene campsite I envisioned.

Olive Ridge Campground, Roosevelt National Forest听

There are plenty of developed RV-friendy campgrounds on the Estes Park side of the park (see my Jellystone story above), but if you鈥檙e looking for a more primitive and serene experience (read: no putt putt courses), head to inside Roosevelt National Forest, near the southeastern corner of the park. The 56 sites (from $29 a night) are surrounded by aspens and ponderosa pines, and half of them are first come/first serve. You鈥檙e close to the Wild Basin area of the park, with fast access to the , an 8.7-mile out and back to a backcountry lake sitting at 10,000 feet at the base of 13,916-foot Mount Meeker. And it鈥檚 just 14 miles south of the main entrance to the park in Estes Park. Take note if you鈥檙e going later in the summer, Olive Ridge is going to close for renovations on August 17 .

Arapaho Valley Ranch: Granby, Colorado听

Most visitors hit Rocky Mountain from the Estes Park side, but , which has cabins, RV hookups, and tent sites, sits on the quieter western side of the park in Granby, within an hour鈥檚 drive of the Rocky Mountain鈥檚 Kawuneeche Visitor Center. The 100-acre ranch has a small lake for paddling and fishing as well as a slice of the South Fork Colorado River. There鈥檚 a hiking trail onsite that leads to an overlook of the Colorado River headwaters. Tent sites start at $85 a night.

Acadia National Park, Maine

Camping inside of Acadia is more limited than most national parks, as there are only a couple of established campgrounds on Mount Desert Island, the main region of the park that attracts most visitors, and there are no backcountry options for the adventurous. To be honest, there aren鈥檛 a lot of tent camping options outside of the park either, as Acadia is flanked by the Atlantic on one side and mostly privately owned land on the other. Like so many national parks, most of the private campgrounds near Acadia cater mostly to RVs, but we did find this one gem that should be on your radar if you have plans to hit Acadia this summer.

HTR Acadia听

may as well be inside Acadia National Park, as its 10-acre campus is located on the Somes Sound, which splits Mount Desert Island in half. From HTR, it鈥檚 a 15 minute drive to downtown Bar Harbor, giving you fast access to Acadia highlights like Cadillac Mountain, Sand Beach, and the . Choose from 25 tent and RV sites starting at $69 a night, some of which are actually on Somes Sound. Cool fact: Somes Sound is the only fjord on the East Coast听of the U.S. The water reaches depths of 175 feet and the mountains on either side rise 850 feet directly from the water. Bring a kayak or paddle board; private boat docks on the campground allow you to launch into the sound and explore.

Great Smoky Mountains National Park: North Carolina and Tennessee

Great Smoky Mountains is the most visited park in the country, attracting more than 14 million people in 2024. Booking a site inside the park can feel like winning the lottery, and the odds of winning decreased significantly this summer as the park is not opening several of their campgrounds due to a lack of staffing. The good news? The camping options just beyond the park鈥檚 borders might be even better than what you find inside the park.

Tsali Recreation Area, Nantahala National Forest听

The 42-site campground at isn鈥檛 fancy (no glamping tents here), but you can鈥檛 beat the location. It sits on the shores of Lake Fontana, which forms the southwestern border of Great Smoky Mountains National Park. From Tsali, you鈥檙e a 15 minute drive from Bryson City, one of the park鈥檚 more laid-back gateway towns, where you can hit the trails of the area of the park, which is known for its waterfalls. This is one of my go-to campgrounds because it鈥檚 just over an hour from my home and has direct access to 30 miles of mountain bike trails in Nantahala National Forest, as well as Lake Fontana, which is one of my favorite places to paddle in search of rope swings. So bring your kayak or SUP and mountain bike. Spots are $20 a night.

Smoky Mountains Mangalitsa River Ranch: Waynesville, North Carolina听

Choose your level of comfort at , a 95-acre farm (complete with horses and pigs!) near Waynesville, NC, on the eastern edge of Great Smoky Mountains. The ranch has cabins, glamping tents on platforms overlooking the river, and 10 primitive tent sites that either offer mountain views or river access. Bring your fly rod, becausePigeon River runs through the property. There鈥檚 even a fresh spring providing drinking water. Mangalitsa River Ranch is an hour from the Oconaluftee Visitor Center, where you can see elk gather in the meadows most evenings. You鈥檙e听even closer to the Big Creek Area of the park (about 30 minutes) where you can hike Mount Sterling Trail, a 5.3-mile out and back that ends at a historic fire lookout above 5,000 feet in elevation.

Graham Averill is 国产吃瓜黑料 magazine鈥檚 national parks columnist. He鈥檚 found himself inside a national park without a campsite on too many occasions, some times with small children and a disappointed wife in tow. He recently wrote about his love for Great Smoky Mountains National Park, and the perfect sleeping platform that allows you to camp in the back of your car.听听

The post The Best Alternatives to Crowded National Park Campgrounds appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

America鈥檚 national parks are known for their vast tracts of unspoiled wilderness, and we love celebrating the trails that take you deep into the backcountry听of these iconic landscapes. But sometimes, the best views in our national parks can be enjoyed from the comfort of your car. Here are the eight best national park scenic roads.

1. Trail Ridge Road, Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado

Trail Ridge Road carves a 48-mile path through the heart of Rocky Mountain National Park, connecting the gateway towns听of Estes Park and Grand Lake. It鈥檚 one of the highest paved roads in the country, with a peak elevation of 12,183 feet at the Gore Range Overlook. The two-lane blacktop is a stiff challenge for cyclists (I always see a few on this road when I鈥檓 in the park) as it climbs more than 4,000 feet in just 12 miles, but it鈥檚 a convenient way for the rest of us to enjoy a high alpine environment; roughly eight miles of the road cruises above tree line with expansive views in either direction. Given the altitude, snowfall means the road is typically only open from late May to early October. I drove the road in July with my family one year, and we marveled at the amount of snow that was still piled up at the pass.

Best View听

The Gore Range Overlook (at mile 19.3 if you鈥檙e coming from Estes Park) sits near the crest of the road with long range views to the west of the Never Summer Mountains. Gaze down from the parking lot and you鈥檒l see small ponds scattered across the tundra. To the east, you can see Longs Peak, one of Colorado鈥檚 most famous 14ers.

Get Out of Your Car

If you drive the entire road, you鈥檒l have more than a dozen opportunities for short hikes. Make sure you explore from the Alpine Visitor Center. It鈥檚 usually not as crowded as Alpine Ridge, which also begins at the visitor center, but takes you through the high alpine tundra with views of the Never Summer Mountains in the distance and the Cache de la Poudre River below. You鈥檒l hit a forest of spruce and firs after two miles, which is where most people turn around. If you go all the way to Milner Pass, it鈥檚 an eight-mile out and back, dropping 1,000 feet on its way to the pass. Keep an eye out for pikas and marmots along the way.

Reservations

You need a to enter Rocky Mountain National Park during the summer, but if you鈥檙e only planning to stick to Trail Ridge Road and not visit the super popular Bear Lakes Corridor, then reservations are easier to get and only necessary between 9 and 2. So even if you don鈥檛 plan ahead, you could start your drive early and catch the sunrise, or start in the afternoon and enjoy the sunset.

2. Chain of Craters Road, Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, Hawaii听

You should drive this road now, while you can, because there鈥檚 no guarantee that the pavement will exist in the future. Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, on the Big Island, encompasses several active volcanoes that have altered the landscape and the two-lane scenic highway multiple times in the last century. Currently, Chain of Craters Road is just shy of 19 miles long, traveling from the top of Kilauea Volcano to the Holei Sea Arch, which hangs over the Pacific Ocean. The road used to carry on past the arch, but that portion of the highway has been swallowed by lava. That鈥檚 what makes this road different from most others in the national park system; you get the opportunity to see the lava that created the Hawaiian islands up close and personal, as the road cruises by several active volcanic craters and the remnants of their outbursts.

Best View

Most of the pullouts along the road offer expansive views of lava fields in various stages of existence. The newer ones will be dark, rolling fields void of life, but the older lava flows will have vegetation and trees sprouting from the creases. The best view comes at the end of the road, when you can take a short walk to see the Holei Sea Arch, a tall, skinny window in a lava-rock cliff that formed over time as the Pacific Ocean slowly eroded the center of the rock.

Get Out of Your Car

There are a handful of hiking opportunities along the Chain of Craters Road. You can even hike what鈥檚 left of the former road beyond the current turn-around point at Holei Sea Arch. If you want a short hike, the .7-mile will take you on a boardwalk through an old lava field to a vast collection of petroglyphs that were carved into the lava more than 500 years ago.

Reservations

No reservations required. Entrance fee is $30 per vehicle.

3. Skyline Drive, Shenandoah National Park, Virginia听

Skyline Drive runs 105 miles through the center of Shenandoah National Park, following the crest of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Consider this road a compressed version of the 469-mile Blue Ridge Parkway, which connects Shenandoah and Great Smoky Mountains National Parks. You can do the road in half a day, but a campground and at the halfway mark make this the perfect two-day adventure. The two-lane road crests at 3,680 feet and offers 75 pullouts with views that extend deep into the mountains and down to the Shenandoah Valley below. Timing your visit during the fall, when the hardwoods in the surrounding mountains are popping with color, makes Skyline Drive a bucket list experience. Biking Skyline from end to end is one of the most memorable centuries on the East Coast. The road is open year round, but will occasionally be closed during the winter because of snow. Check the before you start your trip.

Best View

There are overlooks every couple of miles along Skyline, but the views really stack up around the midpoint as the road reaches its highest elevations. Spitler Knob Overlook, at milepost 48.1, looks west, taking in the Shenandoah River below and the mountains that divide Virginia and West Virginia on the horizon. The sunset from here is stunning, too.

Get Out of Your Car

Head for the highest point in the park by hiking the to the 4,049-foot Hawksbill Summit. The 2.1-mile out and back begins at milepost 46.5, and ends at an observation platform on top of Hawksbill with a 360-degree view of the mountains and surrounding Piedmont.

Reservations

No reservations required. Entrance fee is $30 per vehicle.

4. Going-to-the-Sun Road, Glacier National Park, Montana听

Yeah, this road is crowded, with parking lots along its path notoriously filling up by 10 A.M., but there鈥檚 a reason. Going-to-the-Sun Road, which bisects Glacier National Park while connecting the small gateway communities of West Glacier and St. Mary, might be the most scenic two-lane blacktop in the entire national park system. The 50-mile-long point to point highway delivers views of glaciated peaks, backcountry lakes, and the occasional waterfall, not to mention a great chance to see mountain goats. The road is an engineering feat as well鈥攊t took workers two decades to complete, with builders boring a number of tunnels into the cliffs. Going-to-the-Sun is only open to vehicles during the summer (typically from mid June to mid October), and there鈥檚 a brief hiker/biker season in May when human-powered traffic can access the road after it鈥檚 been plowed, but before the gates are open to cars.

Best View

Logan Pass is the most popular destination on the road, thanks to the visitor center and multiple trailheads there, but the Jackson Glacier Overlook has the sweetest view, as it gives you the best chance to see a glacier from the comfort of your car.

Get Out of Your Car

Going-to-the-Sun provides access to some of Glacier鈥檚 most iconic hikes and landscapes, so you could spend a full week knocking out trails without ever venturing beyond the road鈥檚 corridor. The 2.8-mile is a classic. You won鈥檛 have the trail to yourself (it鈥檚 one of the most popular hikes in the park) but the terrain you鈥檒l experience is iconic Glacier, passing through meadows full of wildflowers in the summer before it听reaches a vantage point overlooking a high alpine lake nestled at the base of the granite-rimmed Bearhat Mountain. Turn back or double your mileage by following the trail to the edge of the lake itself.

Reservations

You need for the west side of Going-to-the-Sun Road from June 13 to September 28, between the hours of 7 A.M. and 3 P.M. Show up before or after that daily window if you want to drive the road but can鈥檛 score a reservation.

5. Crater Lake Rim Drive, Crater Lake National Park, Oregon听

Crater Lake is a sight to behold. The 13,148-acre pool is the deepest lake in the United States, fed entirely by rain and snowmelt, and completely encompassed by the rim of a volcanic crater that was formed more than 7,000 years ago during an eruption. And it鈥檚 all set within the backdrop of Oregon鈥檚 Cascade Mountain Range. The 33-mile Rim Drive gives you a chance to see this lake and the crater from every angle as it forms a paved, two-lane path around the entire scene. There are 30 overlooks along the way, most of which offer a good view of the bright blue water and Wizard Island, a cinder cone island rising 775 feet above the surface of the lake. One of the coolest features of the road is that it was built to disappear into the landscape, so that you can鈥檛 see it as you鈥檙e looking out over the lake. Like many of the scenic park roads built in the 1920s and 30s, Rim Drive has tight curves and very little shoulder, so drive cautiously and watch out for cyclists. Crater Lake National Park gets an average of 41 feet of snow a year, so the road closes for winter, typically from November 1 to June 1.

Best View

Watchman Overlook, 6.5 miles from the visitor center, has one of the best views of the lake, particularly at sunset as it faces west. There鈥檚 also a short, mile-long Watchman Peak Trail that leads to a fire lookout tower with a 360-degree view of the lake, crater, and surrounding Cascade Mountains.

Get Out of the Car

You鈥檒l get plenty of vista views of the lake from above, but is the only legal trail you can take down to the water鈥檚 edge. Find the trailhead on the East Rim Drive, 4.5 miles from where North Entrance Road intersects with West Rim Drive. It鈥檚 a steep, 1.1-mile sandy path from the road to the lake, dropping 700 feet before hitting the boulder-laden shore. Yes, you can take a dip in the water, but it鈥檚 cold, averaging 57 degrees in the summer.

Reservations

Crater Lake National Park doesn鈥檛 require reservations, but there is a $30 per vehicle entrance fee.

6. White Rim Road, Canyonlands National Park, Utah

Canyonlands National Park鈥檚 White Rim Road isn鈥檛 like others on this list. Instead of a paved highway, is a 100-mile four-wheel drive route through the backcountry of Canyonlands, forming a loop around the park鈥檚 Island in the Sky district. It鈥檚 a two-day adventure, at minimum, requiring a high-clearance 4WD vehicle, as well as solid navigational and backcountry skills. But if you have the chops, there鈥檚 no better way to see the park than driving (or mountain biking, if you are so inclined) White Rim Road. Named for the pale slickrock that dominates much of the road鈥檚 terrain, the driving is a mix of sandy washes, rough rocky stretches and the aforementioned slickrock, which will occasionally take you to the edge of canyons. It鈥檚 a two-way road, but most people drive it clockwise. No matter which you go, it should only be attempted by overland veterans and always keep an eyee out for oncoming vehicles, hikers, and bikers. You鈥檒l see towering buttes and monoliths as you drive along the Green River and switchback your way up and down the edges of deep gorges.

Best View

You鈥檒l see some amazing scenery throughout the entirety of this road, but Monument Basin, roughly 30 miles into the drive if you鈥檙e moving clockwise, will give you the chance to park above beauitful canyons and snag an Instagram-worthy shot. Inside the basin below, you鈥檒l see countless red sandstone spires rising from the valley floor.

Get Out of Your Car

The is a 3.4-mile out and back that leaves White Rim Road at mile 65 and meanders across the slickrock to the ruins of a stone structure built by the indigenous people that inhabited the area hundreds of years ago. From the ruin, you鈥檒l have a grand view of the Green River below, with its lush banks standing in contrast to the red desert on either side.

Reservations

Any overnight along White Rim requires a . You can apply for a permit up to four months in advance of your trip ($36 permit fee, plus a $5 per person, per night camping fee), and designated campsites are scattered along the route.

7. Grand Loop, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, Montana and Idaho

驰别濒濒辞飞蝉迟辞苍别鈥檚 Grand Loop isn鈥檛 a single road, but a combination of two-lane roads that form a 145-mile figure eight through the heart of the park. You can do the entire figure eight or just tackle the upper or lower loop. If you attempt to drive the entire Grand Loop, it will be an all-day adventure. Some visitors even break it up into two full days, knocking up the Upper Loop on day one and Lower Loop on the second day. Drive the entire Grand Loop and you鈥檒l hit most of the highlights in America鈥檚 oldest national park, with a chance to stop at geothermal wonders like Mammoth Hot Springs, Old Faithful, and Grand Prismatic Spring, while also being able to take quick detours to iconic landscapes, like the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone and the Lamar Valley, a broad grassland bisected by the Lamar River that attracts big game like bison and grizzly bears. If you have a snowmobile, you can explore the Grand Loop during winter, otherwise you鈥檒l have to plan your trip between May and the end of October, when the road is cleared of snow. And be prepared for the occasional 鈥渂ison jam,鈥� when cars stop to watch the locals.

Best View

Artist Point Overlook, a detour off of the Upper Grand Loop on the South Rim Drive, provides the best view of the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone, which is 20 miles long and more than 1,000 feet deep. From this overlook, you get a great view of the canyon鈥檚 Lower Falls, a tumultuous 300-foot waterfall flanked by steep rock walls.

Get Out of Your Car

The seven-mile out and back from 听delivers views of the park鈥檚 most iconic landscapes, with vistas of the rim of the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone, Hayden Valley (a primo wildlife watching spot), and Yellowstone Lake. On a clear day from the lookout tower on top of Mount Washburn, you can see straight into the Grand Tetons, too. You鈥檒l be following an old stage coach road on this hike, so there鈥檚 even a bit of Wild West culture thrown in for good measure.

Reservations

No vehicle reservations needed. Entrance fee is $35 per vehicle.

8. Park Loop Road, Acadia National Park, Maine

础肠补诲颈补鈥檚 Park Loop is the quintessential national park scenic drive: it鈥檚 short, gorgeous, and provides access to the park鈥檚 most popular destinations. The 27-mile one-way loop traverses the eastern flank of 础肠补诲颈补鈥檚 Mount Desert Island skipping from freshwater ponds to beaches and cliffs, delivering some of Maine鈥檚 most iconic coastal views along the way. Acadia gets three million visitors a year, so the road gets congested, but you can still complete the loop in just a few hours. Take your time though, as Park Loop provides access to short trails and beaches that could keep you entertained for days. If you get a timed entry permit, you can tack on the three-mile too, which rises 1,530 feet straight out of the ocean, offering long range views of the Atlantic.

Best View

Dramatic views are a near constant along Park Loop, but Otter Cliff stands out above the rest, literally and figuratively. Otter Cliff is 110 feet tall, making it one of the tallest cliffs on the east coast. Spruce trees sprout from the top of the cliff, while a boulder-strewn beach can be seen below. Hit the cliff during the summer and there鈥檚 a good chance you鈥檒l see multiple species of whales in the water.

Get Out of Your Car

Make a stop at Sand Beach, where you can take a swim if you鈥檙e brave enough to handle the Atlantic鈥檚 frigid temperatures, lounge and walk the , an easy stroll that accesses a variety of views of the Atlantic and Mount Desert Island鈥檚 coastline. The path will also take you to Thunder Hole, an inlet carved into the cliffs where incoming waves create a thunderous echo.

Reservations

You don鈥檛 need reservations to enter Acadia or drive the Park Loop, but you will need them if you want to drive the summit road to the top of . Entrance fee to the park is $35 per vehicle.

Graham Averill is 国产吃瓜黑料 magazine鈥檚 national park columnist. He loves a scenic road with an overlook as much as the next tourist and he recently wrote about the best road trips in the Southwest. He鈥檚 excited to plan his family鈥檚 next spring break trip, too.听

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Our family trip to Maui was full of surfing, waterfall treks, and snorkeling with turtles. Catching the sunrise from the top of the 10,023-foot volcano in Haleakala National Park was supposed to be the crowning jewel. Some say it鈥檚 the greatest sunrise in the world. I wouldn鈥檛 know, though, because I forgot to make reservations two months in advance of the trip, and the only way you can see the sunrise from Haleakala is with a timed-entry permit.

These mandatory timed-entry reservations in national parks have become a hot topic the last few years. During the pandemic, when visitation to national parks soared, a few parks鈥攕tarting with Arches in 2022鈥攔esponded by implementing the reservation systems, which require all visitors to get permits for specific entry times during the busy season. Since then, other park units have implemented similar systems.

I recently spent a lot of time studying national-park visitor comments online, and the reservation system was the second-most frequent complaint. But you know what was the most frequent complaint among national-park visitors? Overcrowding in parks, which leads to traffic jams and a lack of parking, not to mention more pressure on the natural resources.

The National Park System has implemented these systems as a direct response. If you鈥檝e sat in near standstill traffic in Yosemite, or waited for your turn to take a photo in Glacier, then you know something has to be done to mitigate the crowds.

I鈥檓 notoriously bad at making reservations for dinner a week in advance, let alone for a vacation three months down the road, so I get user frustration with the new system. But until some bright mind comes up with a better way to handle millions of people wanting to hike to Bear Lake in Rocky Mountain National Park, I think we鈥檙e all going to have to get used to planning certain national park experiences well in advance.

Here鈥檚 a look at the nine national parks that will require advance reservations for entry or on certain popular hikes in 2025.

1. Glacier National Park

Glacier National Park is bringing back last year鈥檚 timed-entry vehicle-reservation pilot project for the popular west side of Going-To-The-Sun Road and the North Fork area. The reservations will be required from June 13 to September 28, 2025, daily between 7 A.M. and 3 P.M.

Going-To-The-Sun Road, which is only open during the warm months, usually mid June through September, is a 50-mile-long paved byway that cuts through the center of the park, delivering visitors to the most popular trailheads. West Glacier, near Whitefish, is the western entrance of the road, and St. Mary Visitor Center is the gateway to the eastern edge of the park.

How to Get a Glacier National Park Reservation: You can make reservations starting on February 12 on on a rolling basis, 120 days in advance of desired visitation dates, starting at 8 A.M. MST. Any remaining vehicle reservations will be available at 7 P.M. MDT for next-day entry for dates throughout the season starting on June 12, 2025. Reservations require a $2 processing fee.

In 2025, visitors can still access the park at the East Entrance of Going-To-The-Sun Road without a reservation, but entry might be restricted at certain times without advance notice if the road becomes too congested. You can visit the beautiful Two Medicine Valley, also on the east side of the park and with its own entrance, without a reservation. If you lack a reservation and don鈥檛 want to trek 100 miles to the east side of the park, vehicles can drive Going-To-The-Sun Road from the western entrance as far as Apgar Village, which is two miles inside the park鈥檚 west entrance.

Backup Plan: If you have a reservation for lodging, camping, transportation, or a commercial activity, you can access the park within the intended service area of Going-To-The-Sun Road without making a timed-entry reservation as long as you can show proof of that booking.

If you don鈥檛 have a reservation, you can enter the park before 7 A.M. or after 3 P.M. Or take your chances and enter the park through the eastern entrance of Going-To-The-Sun Road, remembering that access might be restricted due to overcrowding on the road. Better yet, head to the east side of the park to Two Medicine Valley, which is full of trails leading to ice-blue backcountry lakes and towering peaks. The 9.6-mile hike to passes waterfalls and ends on the shore of the lake, which is flanked by the Continental Divide.

2. Arches National Park

Arches is bringing back its previous timed-entry reservation pilot program from 2022 to be used from April 1 to October 31, 2025, although this year you will not need reservations between July 7 and August 27. The program is a continuation of a reservation system that began as a direct response to Arches鈥� increased popularity; the park had seen a 73 percent rise in visitation from 2011 to 2021. Timed entry reservations will be required between 7 A.M. and 4 P.M. daily.

How to Get an Arches National Park Reservation: Reservations are released three months in advance in monthly blocks, so April reservations open on January 2, May reservations open February 1, June reservations open March 1, and so on. Tickets can be reserved at at 8 A.M. MST beginning January 2. Beginning March 31, additional next-day tickets will be released at 7 P.M. MST each evening. Cost for booking a reservation is $2. No tickets will be available at the park visitor center. Once you have a reservation, you鈥檒l have a dedicated one-hour window to enter the park.

Backup Plan: You don鈥檛 need a reservation if you have camping, tour, or special-use permits.

You can also enter the park before 7 A.M. or after 4 P.M. without a reservation. Canyonlands National Park is only 27 miles southwest of Arches, and makes for a superb alternative if you can鈥檛 get inside Arches.

3. Rocky Mountain National Park

Rocky Mountain National Park has a two-tiered reservation system that, frankly, has confused a lot of people in the past couple of years. Still, it proved effective for mitigating crowds, so the park is bringing it back for 2025. Reservations will be required beginning May 23 through Oct. 14 or Oct 20 depending on the specific reservation you get.

Two types of reservations are available: one is a permit for the Bear Lake Road Corridor, which will also include access to the rest of the park, with reservations required from 5 A.M to 6 P.M.. The other is a permit for what is known as 鈥渢he rest of the park,鈥� excluding this corridor, with reservations needed from 9 A.M. to 2 P.M. daily. Bear Lake Road reservations are required from May 23 to October 20, but 鈥渢he rest of the park鈥� reservations are only necessary from May 23 to October 14. Why the distinction? The Bear Lake Road area is the most popular section of the park thanks to its collection of picturesque lakes and relatively easy hikes.

How to Get a Rocky Mountain National Park Reservation: You can get reservations through one month in advance, so reservations for June (and the last week of May) will be released at 8 A.M. MST on May 1. Reservations for July will be released June 1 at 8 A.M. MST. The park will also hold 40 percent of the permits for next-day reservations, releasing those at 7 P.M. MST the night before. The only cost for a reservation is a $2 process fee. Visitors with a reservation will have a dedicated two-hour window to enter the park.

Back Up Plan: The Bear Lake corridor is awesome, and the deeper you go on the trails in that area, the better it gets. But Rocky Mountain is a big park, and with the 鈥渞est of the park鈥� reservation window so narrow (9 A.M. to 2 P.M.) there鈥檚 plenty of time to enter the park before or after those hours and still experience the iconic landscape. Driving Trail Ridge Road, the highest paved road in the U.S., topping out at 12,183 feet, is memorable all on its own. But I say set your alarm for an early wake up so you can hit the park before 9 A.M. and head to the Long鈥檚 Peak Trailhead for the 8.4-mile hike to Chasm Lake, a calm pool at the base of Long鈥檚 Peak where you鈥檒l see a picture perfect view of the mountain鈥檚 1,000-foot granite walls.

4. Zion National Park

You don鈥檛 need reservations to enter Zion National Park in 2025, but you will to hike to Angels Landing. The extremely popular hike leads to one of the most photogenic spots in the entire park: a narrow, rocky perch hovering 1,500 feet above the Virgin River. Reservations are required year round and released in a seasonal lottery beginning two months in advance of your intended hike. Next-day permits are also released, on the day before your intended hike.

How to Get a Reservation to Hike to Angels Landing: All reservations are released on . You鈥檒l enter the lottery and pick seven ranked days and times when you want to tackle Angels Landing. You can register for up to six people in the lottery. If you win the lottery, permits are issued on the 25th of the month that you registered.

Lottery-permit applications are $6 and if you score a reservation, the cost is another $3 per hiker. The park also releases last-minute permits for next-day hikers. The lottery opens at 12 MST and closes at 3pm MST each day. The same fees apply. The confirmation email from recreation.gov serves as your permit.

Backup Plan: Getting a reservation is the only way you can hike to the end of Angels Landing, but no permit is necessary to hike the up to Scout Lookout, a 4.5-mile out and back that encompasses most of the same trail, missing only the final push along the knife-edge ridge to Angels Landing. But you鈥檒l still get to hike along the Virgin River and through the breezy Refrigerator Canyon, and end with a great view of Zion Canyon from Scout Lookout.

5. Shenandoah National Park

No reservations are necessary to enter Shenandoah National Park, but you do need a permit to hike any of the several routes up the park鈥檚 signature peak, Old Rag, which is topped by a granite outcropping with a 360-degree view. After a two-year pilot program, Shenandoah National Park has made the Old Rag day-use permit system permanent. You鈥檒l need a day-use ticket from March 1 to November 30. A limit of 800 permits are allotted each day.

How to Get a Permit to Hike Old Rag: Every member in your hiking party needs a permit. Tickets are $2, purchased at . Half of the tickets are released 30 days in advance on a rolling basis and the other half are open for grabs five days in advance. The permits are good from 12 A.M. to 11:59 P.M. of the date of your hike.

Backup Plan: Old Rag isn鈥檛 the only summit inside Shenandoah. The 3,514-foot Mary鈥檚 Rock, which requires no permit (only Old Rag does), is topped by a granite outcropping with a gorgeous view west into the pastoral Shenandoah Valley. You can reach the summit via a variety of trails, from an easy 1.5-mile out and back to an arduous that includes a slice of the Appalachian Trail. 听

6. Haleakala National Park

You don鈥檛 need a reservation to enter Haleakala National Park, a 33,265-acre gem on the island of Maui, but if you want to see the sunrise from the summit of its central 10,023-foot active volcano, you鈥檒l need to plan ahead and get a permit. Reservations are necessary to enter the Summit District of the park from 3 A.M. to 7 A.M. daily. The system has been in place since 2017 because catching the sunrise from the top of this volcano is supposedly a transcendent experience.

How to Get a Reservation to See the Sunrise on Haleakala: Reservations can be made on up to 60 days in advance of your desired day. All permits are released at 7 A.M. HST daily on a rolling basis. For those with less foresight, 50 permits are released 48 hours in advance on a rolling basis, but don鈥檛 count on scoring one: only 150 cars are allowed into the park during sunrise each day. You can only get one sunrise reservation per three-day period.听

Backup Plan: I tried to get last-minute reservations for sunrise on my recent family trip to Maui but had no luck. Instead, we showed up for sunset. Was it as transcendent as a sunrise? I can鈥檛 compare the two, but it was gorgeous and we didn鈥檛 have to wake up at 2 A.M. to drive into the park. If you鈥檙e dead set on experiencing the sunrise but can鈥檛 get an advance reservation, consider booking a couple of nights in the Summit District鈥檚 Each booking comes with a sunrise permit. Snag a campsite up to 30 days in advance. Sites are $5 per night, with a three-night maximum.

Hiking the Summit District is a delight even if you can鈥檛 catch a sunrise. My family spent our time poking around easy trails, but the is an 11-mile point-to-point that drops through the volcano鈥檚 crater, traveling through rust-red and black lava rock terrain that many describe as otherworldly.

7. Yosemite National Park

For the last couple of years, Yosemite has gone back and forth with timed-entry reservations: mandating and enforcing them, then taking the system away, then bringing it back. In 2024, the park introduced a Peak Hours Plus system for spring, summer, and fall that required reservations from 5 A.M. to 4 P.M.

The park hasn鈥檛 announced its plans for 2025 yet. But we do know that you鈥檒l need reservations from February 8 to February 23 on weekends because of the mass appeal of Horsetail Falls, which at that time of year glows when sunlight hits it. You need an even if you don鈥檛 want to see Horsetail Falls. We鈥檒l update this article with Yosemite鈥檚 2025 plans when they are released.

How to Get a Reservation to See Horsetail Falls: Half of the reservations for the February Horsetail Falls were released in November of 2024. The other half will be released two days in advance of the target weekends at 8 A.M. PT on recreation.gov. So if you鈥檙e trying to get tickets for February 23, you can get reservations on February 21 at 8 A.M.. There鈥檚 a $2 reservation fee.

Backup Plan: If you want to see Horsetail Falls in its winter glory on a weekend, you need to score a reservation. There鈥檚 no way into Yosemite on a February weekend without that permit. Or you can hit the park on weekdays in February when no reservations are required.

If you make it inside the park in February and are looking for something else to do, head to the Bridge Pass Ski Area, which offers downhill skiing and is a hub of groomed and ungroomed cross-country trails. The is a 8.3-mile ski through meadows with a dramatic view into Yosemite Valley.

8. Acadia National Park

Acadia National Park did not require entrance reservations in 2024, but did require reservations for visitors wanting to drive Cadillac Summit Road from May 22 to October 27. The park has not announced its reservation plans for 2025, although Cadillac Summit Road permits are expected to be part of the management plan again.

How to Get a Cadillac Summit Road Permit: Last year, permits were required to drive the road from sunrise until sunset. The park released 30 percent of the permits 90 days in advance on on a rolling basis, while 70 percent of permits were released at 10 A.M. EST two days prior to desired dates. There was a $6 processing fee regardless of when you get the reservation.

Backup Plan: You鈥檒l need to score a reservation if you want to drive to the top of Cadillac Mountain during the day time, but that鈥檚 not the only good view inside Acadia. Check out Great Head, a 145-foot tall summit with a dramatic view of 础肠补诲颈补鈥檚 beaches and coast, via this adventurous .

9. Mount Rainier National Park

Mount Rainier is the latest park to enter the timed-entry reservation game, introducing a pilot permit system last year for vehicles accessing the park via either the Paradise Corridor and Sunrise Corridor. Reservations were needed daily from 7 A.M. to 3 P.M. from May 24 through September 2 for the Paradise Corridor and July 3 to September 2 for the Sunrise Corridor. The park is still evaluating the results of that pilot program and has not yet announced plans for 2025. We鈥檒l update this article when information is available.

How to Get a Reservation to Mount Rainier National Park: Advance reservations are made available on , and a small amount of next-day reservations are issued at 7 P.M. PT the day before on a rolling basis. A $2 processing fee is required for each reservation.

Backup Plan: If you can鈥檛 score a reservation, try entering the park before 7 A.M. or after 3 P.M. Also, visitors with camping, lodging, or wilderness permits don鈥檛 need a timed-entry reservation. Also, if you enter Sunrise Corridor on foot or bicycle, you don鈥檛 need a reservation. If you鈥檙e , State Route 410 (Sunrise Road) climbs 3,650 feet in 20 miles from the park boundary to Sunrise, an overlook sitting at 6,400 feet in elevation that offers a big view of snowcapped Rainier and the surrounding valley.

Graham Averill is 国产吃瓜黑料 magazine鈥檚 national parks columnist. He still regrets not scoring reservations for the sunrise in Haleakala National Park, and knows he needs to be better at planning ahead for such adventures. He recently wrote about the year鈥檚 (best) worst national park reviews; surviving a hurricane in his hometown of Asheville, North Carolina; and his choice for the country’s best state for adventures.

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We get it鈥攏ot everyone wants to pitch a tent and forego showers when visiting our public lands. And honestly, because of a recent boom in new national-park lodging, you don鈥檛 have to. In 2020, I moved into my minivan and traveled to nearly every park in the U.S., penning dispatches about them for 国产吃瓜黑料. When I wasn鈥檛 catnapping in the back of my vehicle, I occasionally splurged on fun motels and lodges in gateway towns.

Whether you鈥檙e headed to the rust red maw of the Grand Canyon or the wooded summits of Great Smoky Mountains, loads of new hotels and glamping retreats are popping up to meet the demands of park visitors, whose numbers have exploded since the pandemic. From retro-futuristic roadside motels to Dolly Parton-themed resorts and remodeled national-park lodges, there鈥檚 a little something for everyone on this list.

1. Ofland Escalante

Closest national park: Bryce Canyon, Utah

Best for: Chic glamping, tiny homes, post-hike hot tubs

With its modernist cabins, spa-inspired bathhouses, and food truck that serves up Americana fare (like meatloaf patty melts and cornbread French toast), this newer outpost on Southern Utah鈥檚 stunning Highway 12 just rebranded and added deluxe cabins in 2024 and is a true outdoor-lover鈥檚 paradise. Situated a mere ten minutes from Hole in the Rock Road, the washboard byway leading to many of Grand Staircase Escalante鈥檚 top slot canyons, is the ultimate, pet-friendly base camp for exploring the Beehive State鈥檚 red-rock country.

An hour鈥檚 drive delivers you to the colorful hoodoos of Bryce Canyon, while a 90-minute car ride gets you up to my personal Utah fave, Capitol Reef. In the evening, enjoy a steamy outdoor shower, followed by a drive-in movie with free popcorn at Ofland鈥檚 own big-screen theater, or plop into the property鈥檚 pool and hot tub before enjoying the snap, crackle, and pop of your personal fire pit. If it鈥檚 not too hot, spend an afternoon clambering around in Peek-a-Boo and Spooky Slot Canyons.

2. Populus Hotel

Closest national park: Rocky Mountain, Colorado

Best for: Eco-friendly amenities, luxe dining, nearby art museums

Set in downtown Denver, a stone鈥檚 throw from the State Capitol, the Denver Art Museum, and Civic Center Park, is making history in 2024 as the nation鈥檚 first carbon-positive hotel. It has been designed from the ground up to utilize solar and wind power, highlight locally sourced ingredients from Colorado in each of its dining concepts, and closely monitor all emissions so that remaining carbon is balanced out by supporting projects that capture carbon elsewhere. The hotel has already planted over 70,000 trees (and counting).

A stay at Populus is ideal for the Denver-bound traveler who wants to experience the best of two worlds: city-focused creature comforts with the option to hike amidst the Rocky Mountain National Park tundra or scramble up . With the Wild Basin entrance roughly 66 miles away, it鈥檚 an easy day trip to the park. Rooms here are jaw-droppingly gorgeous and themed after the state鈥檚 famous aspen trees, with ultra-soft earth-toned bedding, natural forest sounds in the elevators, and eyelet-shaped windows overlooking the Denver skyline.

Chow down on post-hike grub with dreamy sunset views at the on-site rooftop restaurant Stellar Jay or enjoy fresh, seasonal Colorado fare at the downstairs restaurant Pasque, both helmed by executive chef Ian Wortham.

3. The Pathmaker Hotel

Closest national park: Acadia, Maine

Best for: Exploring downtown Bar Harbor, ocean strolls, simple elegance

With a primo location in downtown Bar Harbor, two blocks from the Bar Island Trail, whale-watching tours and the delicious, creamy rolls at Stewman’s Lobster Pound, opens in late 2024. Featuring suites, double queen, and classic king-sized rooms decorated in elegant neutral tones, this hotel also offers kitchenettes with mini-fridges and microwaves. What鈥檚 even better is that breakfast is included, making it easy to start your morning hike up neighboring or a stroll around Sieur de Monts鈥� historic gardens with a full belly.

It鈥檚 also worth noting that Acadia is home to 45 miles of crushed-stone carriage roads, which are all bike- and dog-friendly. Rent a bicycle at Bar Harbor Bicycle Shop, a five-minute walk from the hotel鈥檚 front door, and spend a day zipping around the park without your car before relaxing with a pot of tea and freshly made popovers at Jordan Pond House鈥搃t was one of my favorite things I did on my giant parks road trip.

4. The Rusty Parrot Lodge and Spa

Closest national park: Grand Teton, Wyoming

Best for: Spa getaways, Jackson ski and hiking trips, luxury mountain vibes

Just remodeled and reopened in early July, following a devastating 2019 fire, this Jackson Hole favorite is back and better than ever. rooms and suites boast a bit of a chic hunting-lodge feel, complete with stone fireplaces, tufted headboards, and the occasional pop of cowboy-themed art.

Fly fish in the Snake River, feel the leg burn on a hike up , or pop on over to the nearby National Elk Refuge for a . When you鈥檙e done exploring the toothy Teton Range, fill up on Idaho Trout Saltimbocca at the lodge鈥檚 Wild Sage Restaurant, or indulge in a CBD-infused herbal sugar scrub at its Body Sage Spa. Either way, you鈥檒l leave feeling full and rejuvenated.

5. Wildhaven Yosemite

Closest national park: Yosemite, California

Best for: Affordable glamping, Yosemite Valley exploration, communal hangs

is making waves this year as the newest glamping resort outside the Free Solo-famous Yosemite National Park. Situated 34 miles from the Arch Rock Entrance Station on 36 rugged acres of rolling Sierra Nevada foothills, the property offers 30 safari tents and 12 tiny cabins, well-appointed with amenities like fire pits and private decks.

A communal BBQ area boasts grills and shaded picnic tables, while glamping sites share communal bathrooms and showers. After a day of hiking and snapping photos of from Cook鈥檚 Meadow, recharge your electronics with electricity access in every tent.

Complimentary coffee and tea help start your day off, and every stay at Wildhaven includes access to on-site classes and events, like Yogasemite yoga classes and Sierra Cider tastings, for when you鈥檙e not huffing and puffing up Upper Yosemite Falls for those epic views. Looking for even more regional glamping news? A top national-park lodging purveyor, , has announced that it鈥檚 also opening a brand-new Yosemite location near Big Oak Flat in 2025.

6. Field Station Joshua Tree

Closest national park: Joshua Tree, California

Best for: Mountain bikers, large groups, pool hangouts

are designed with the intrepid outdoorsperson in mind. Bike racks for your hardtail are in every room, hooks for hanging packs are in ample supply, and an on-site gear shop makes it easy to grab any of the Ten Essentials you might have forgotten before speeding off and into the park, which is just 13 miles (a 20- to 25-minute drive) away by car. If you鈥檙e a diehard coffee drinker, you鈥檒l be thrilled that the lodge has a small espresso bar, Little Station Coffee & Kitchen, which serves everything from cold brew to toasted bagels to start your morning out right.

Choose between standard king-bed rooms and double-queen bunk rooms (which sleep up to 10) and have plenty of space for your whole crew to spread out and save cash, then head on over to the North Entrance (it鈥檚 the closest one) of Joshua Tree and enjoy epic trails like the or bouldering along the formation-filled .

When you鈥檙e not adventuring in the park, don鈥檛 miss the Noah Purifoy Outdoor Museum in town, which exhibits loads of large-scale found-object art, like TVs and rubber tires.

7. Dollywood鈥檚 HeartSong Lodge & Resort

Closest national park: Great Smoky Mountains, Tennessee and North Carolina

Best for: Families, pool time, East Coast hikers

Opened in November 2023, seems tailor-made for families traveling with young kids. Even the hotel鈥檚 standard-issue rooms offer fun extras, like murphy beds, sleeper sofas, clothing-storage space, and mini fridges. Lovely mid-century modern furnishings combine with a massive stone fireplace in the four-story, atrium-style lobby, where guests can chill out when they鈥檙e not splashing about in the large pool complex or dining at one of the lodge鈥檚 four restaurant options.

Though the resort is clearly geared towards travelers heading into the Dollywood theme park (there鈥檚 complimentary trolley service from the hotel), it鈥檚 also a brief 15-mile (20-minute) drive to Great Smoky Mountains鈥� Sugarlands Visitor Center. From there, visitors can easily drive to the exceedingly popular , or gaze out at verdant, forested hills at Newfound Gap, which marks the border between Tennessee and North Carolina. Best of all, adjoining rooms and roomy family suites with cozy bunk beds make it easy for you and your loved ones to spend loads of time together, whether that鈥檚 in the lodge or trekking to the park鈥檚 many rushing waterfalls.

8. Flamingo Lodge

Closest national park: Everglades, Florida

Best for: Birders, paddlers, Tropical Florida ambiance

Initially opened in the 1960s as part of the National Park Service鈥檚 retro-futuristic Mission 66 Project, Flamingo Lodge was forced to shut its doors in 2005, after suffering extensive damage from Hurricane Wilma, when storm surges swelled up to nine feet. Thankfully, , which is named after the distinctive pink birds that once migrated to the area in droves, before plume-hunters nearly poached them out of existence, has been fully rebuilt and reopened in October 2023.

It鈥檚 the only non-camping, non-houseboat option for accommodations inside the parklodging available inside Everglades National Park, and given the park鈥檚 enormous acreage (at 1.5 million acres, it is roughly twice the size of Yosemite), creates a welcome bastion for beachgoers exploring the state鈥檚 coastal prairie and boaters enjoying the sunshine and warm, tropical air of the Florida Bay.

Inside the lodge鈥檚 four eco-friendly container buildings are 24 spacious guest rooms, ranging from studios to two-bedroom suites, in clean neutral hues with the occasional pop of tropical jewel tones. Also onsite are a restaurant serving organic, locally sourced cuisine (think breakfast burritos and pineapple pulled-pork sandwiches) and a marina, where visitors can rent anything from bicycles to double kayaks and pontoon boats. Spend a day cycling the and keep your eyes peeled for huge herons.

9. Americana Motor Hotel

Closest national park: Grand Canyon, Arizona

Best for: Travelers with dogs, EV road trips, hipster pool scene

There鈥檚 so much to love about the Jetsons鈥�-style that it鈥檚 hard to fit it all into a single paragraph, but we鈥檒l do our darndest. Set in the northern Arizona city of Flagstaff, one hour from the Grand Canyon and 90 minutes from Petrified Forest, this vintage-style motor lodge should check every box on your Route 66 daydream list. First of all, there are EV chargers aplenty, free morning coffee, and communal fire pits with outdoor hang space.

But this site truly goes above and beyond the standard-issue motel amenities by offering loaner telescopes for optimized night-sky viewing, year-round heated pool, and a fenced-in 鈥渂arkyard鈥� with a dedicated dog-wash station to rinse off your muddy trail pooch. They鈥檝e even got free hotel bicycles for those wishing to take a spin around Flagstaff.

The interiors of the rooms are just as fabulous as the resort鈥檚 exterior, with space-age d茅cor (think astronaut sculptures and galaxy wall art), walk-in showers, and disco balls. Hungry? After a trek down to or a stroll along the Grand Canyon鈥檚 South Rim, fill up at the Americana鈥檚 Pacific Mexican seafood truck, Baja Mar, which dishes out badass shrimp ceviche and battered fish tacos to hungry hikers.

Emily Pennington is a freelance journalist specializing in outdoor adventure and national parks. She鈥檚 traveled to public lands on all seven continents and visited all 63 U.S. national parks. Her book, , was released in 2023. This year, she鈥檚 getting more acquainted with her new backyard, Rocky Mountain National Park.

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Hiking in our national parks is high on the list of many visitors, and long trails don鈥檛 always equate to the best views. In fact, many short, scenic options are just as worthy.

I love a good short hike, and on my adventures to all 63 U.S. national parks, I discovered that you don鈥檛 always have to go big to get big views. Maybe you have young kids in tow or are simply seeking a mellow day in nature. So I鈥檝e compiled a list of my favorite short hikes in national parks, each of which is postcard-worthy. All distances mentioned are round-trip.

Acadia National Park, Maine

Trail name:

Distance: 2.1 miles

I鈥檝e raved about the Bar Island Trail for 国产吃瓜黑料 before, naming it one of the best wheelchair-accessible hikes in the country. I still maintain that this gravel strip north of downtown Bar Harbor is one Acadia鈥檚 most unique hikes, because it鈥檚 an utterly accessible stroll that鈥檚 technically off-trail. Grab a , because the pathway trail is only water-free for 90 minutes before and after low tide, and say goodbye to those storybook cottages in favor of Bar Island鈥檚 rocky beaches.

Big Bend National Park, Texas

Trail name:

Distance: 听1.6 miles

When I visited Big Bend鈥檚 Santa Elena Canyon in 2020, I rushed to get there just as the sun was setting, so I could watch that big fireball in the sky paint the limestone walls of the canyon in hushed, warm hues. But take your time driving the 30-mile to the trailhead, too. It鈥檚 home to the aptly named Mule Ears rock formations, as well as impressive Chihuahuan Desert vistas.

Canyonlands National Park, Utah

Trail name:

Distance: 1.8 miles

Of all the trails I鈥檝e hiked on my three trips to Moab, Utah, this trek over to Grand View Point in Canyonlands has got to be the best low-effort, high-reward journey. Start from Grand View Point Overlook and, if you鈥檙e not afraid of heights and cliff edges, meander along tangerine-tinted cliffs on a relatively flat, 0.9-mile trail, with views stretching into a maw of the earth, where the Colorado and Green Rivers converge.

Carlsbad Caverns National Park, New Mexico

Trail name:

Distance: 1.25 miles

I couldn鈥檛 create a list of the best easy national-park hikes without including something from Carlsbad Caverns, one of the most family-friendly and wheelchair-accessible parks of the lot. This trail can be accessed via the visitor center鈥檚 elevator, which travels 750 feet into the belly of the earth, or the 1.25-mile Natural Entrance Trail (yes, you can take the elevator back up to ground level). Then get ready to marvel at thousands of stalactites and stalagmites, many of which resemble hanging jellyfish and posh chandeliers.

Crater Lake National Park, Oregon

Trail name:

Distance: 1.8 miles

July is my favorite month to summit 7,881-foot Watchman Peak, when the high-elevation wildflowers鈥攑urple lupine and bright fuchsia beardtongues鈥攁re in full bloom. Not only will you glean better views of Wizard Island as you climb, but from the top, you can check out a .

Denali National Park and Preserve, Alaska

Trail name:

Distance: 2 miles

There aren鈥檛 many maintained trails in Denali (or Alaska, for that matter), but the Savage River Loop is an excellent choice if you鈥檙e on one of the park鈥檚 famous hop-on, hop-off green transit buses that run between the entrance and the deep interior. In summer, enjoy the verdant tundra and views of the Alaska Range鈥檚 foothills as you follow the rushing Savage upstream for a mile before turning around. Bring your bear spray if you鈥檙e hiking in Denali鈥搕his trail was closed to hikers when I visited in 2020, due to a surly mama bear.

Glacier National Park, Montana

Trail name:

Distance: 5 miles

Avalanche Lake Trail is one of the most popular in Glacier鈥搃t鈥檚 shaded, has moderate elevation gain, and ends at a mirror-clear alpine lake, studded with waterfalls鈥攖he scene is like one from middle-earth. You can extend your trip into a six-mile journey if you stroll along the shoreline to escape the throngs at the turnaround point. Pro tip: if you plan to picnic at the lake, be sure to hide your food from crafty marmots out for a free lunch.

Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona

Trail name: South Kaibab Trail to

Distance: 1.8 miles

When I first laid eyes on Ooh Aah Point, I chuckled鈥攈ere was one of the most appropriate signposts for a view that I鈥檇 ever seen inside a national park. From this drop-dead gorgeous spot, located just 0.9 miles and 600 feet below the South Kaibab Trailhead, you鈥檒l be able to take in a mind-blowing assemblage of rust-red sandstone plateaus and mesas, stretching out as far as the eye can see. Feeling frisky? Extend your hike to (3.1 miles round-trip) for even more canyon magic.

Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming

Trail name: (also known as String Lake Loop)

Distance: 3.6 miles

For easy hikes in Grand Teton, I鈥檇 stay near the park鈥檚 shimmering , which boast impressive views of the immense, pointed mountains and but are home to trails that are relatively flat. This particular loop circumnavigates String Lake, with scene-stealing vistas of Rockchuck Peak and Mount Saint John along the way. Bring your SUP along and ply the lake鈥檚 cool waters after your jaunt.

Great Basin National Park, Nevada

Trail name:

Distance: 2.8 miles

When I hiked this path with my partner in late May 2020, we ended up breaking trail in thigh-deep snow, but from June through September, this is an easy trek to many of the oldest trees on earth. Meditate among these gnarled beauties in the shadow of Wheeler Peak鈥攖he state鈥檚 second highest, at 13,065 feet鈥攁nd its myriad boulders. Want a longer variation? Continue along the same path to the Wheeler Peak Glacier for a 4.4-mile trip.

Great Smoky Mountains National Park, North Carolina and Tennessee

Trail name:

Distance: 2.6 miles

Beat the heat in America鈥檚 most-visited national park on this shaded stroll to a cascading waterfall, bookended by mossy boulders. You鈥檒l likely spot salamanders near the cool creek as you stroll through an old-growth hemlock forest and end up at the 25-foot-high Grotto Falls. Dip your feet into the refreshing water before turning back the way you came.

Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, Hawaii Island

Trail name:

Distance: 2.9 miles

It鈥檚 rare to walk through a tropical rainforest, check out hissing steam vents, and witness an active volcano all in a single trail, but Hawaii Volcanoes is not your average national park. For the best experience, park near the visitor center, hike this well-maintained path at sunset, and try to spot the otherworldly pink glow of lava from the as it gets dark.

Isle Royale National Park, Michigan

Trail name:

Distance: 4.3 miles

If you鈥檝e only got one day in Isle Royale, this is the trail to take. Beginning in the popular Rock Harbor area, on the main island鈥檚 eastern edge, the trail travels in and out of boreal forest and across dark gray volcanic rocks until it reaches Scoville Point, with its sweeping views of Lake Superior. When you鈥檝e had enough of feeling like you鈥檙e standing at the edge of the known world, return via the north side of the peninsula for even better forest bathing.

Katmai National Park, Alaska

Trail name: Brooks Falls Trail

Distance: 2.4 miles

Yes, getting to Katmai is a long adventure that involves a floatplane from Anchorage. I鈥檝e had the distinct pleasure of visiting the park twice, and it blew my mind both times. For starters, it鈥檚 a fantastic place to watch salmon swimming upstream from July through September. This also means it鈥檚 one of the best places in the state to watch hungry grizzly bears fattening themselves up on the spawning fish. Stow your food at , then cross the Brooks River on an elevated boardwalk trail. Once you reach the falls, have that camera ready to snap photo after photo of the ornery beasts feeding.

Lassen Volcanic National Park, California

Trail name:

Distance: 3 miles

Want to be wowed by sizzling hydrothermal features, but don鈥檛 want to travel all the way to Yellowstone? Lesser-known Bumpass Hell, apart from having an amazing name, is home to some seriously cool steam vents, scalding hot springs, and bubbling mud pots. After stretching your legs on the trail, take a dip in Lake Helen, just across Lassen National Park Highway, and crane your neck up at 10,457-foot-high Lassen Peak.

Mount Rainier National Park, Washington

Trail name:

Distance: 4.7 miles

The Paradise area is my favorite section of this gorgeous park, and while I trekked along this moderate hike, I saw a huge, fluffy mountain goat and had terrific views of Rainier鈥檚 serrated glaciers. 72-foot-tall Myrtle Falls is the real showstopper, though, because it鈥檚 perfectly framed by trees beneath Rainier. If you鈥檇 prefer an ever mellower day out, you can turn this trek into a simple stroll via the Golden Gate Trail.

New River Gorge National Park, West Virginia

Trail name:

Distance: 3.2 miles

Though New River Gorge is perhaps best known for its rock climbing and whitewater rafting, I thoroughly enjoyed hiking its many forested trails when I visited in 2021. This out-and-back to Long Point meanders through a forest of spruce and hemlock before popping you out onto a rocky ledge with one of the best New River Bridge photo ops in the park.

Redwood National Park, California

Trail name:

Distance: 3.5 miles

You鈥檒l need to to hike this lollipop loop, which meanders through some of the tallest trees on the planet, but any hassle is well worth it. Drive down a washboard road just east of Orick for roughly 6 miles and park in the designated dirt lot before descending 700 feet to the Tall Trees Grove, keeping your eyes peeled for epic oyster mushrooms and sword ferns along the way. I鈥檇 plan on spending at least an hour quietly perusing these ancient redwoods. This is forest bathing at its finest.

Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado

Trail name:

Distance: 5 miles

Technically, the Ute Trail is an eight-mile round-trip hike, but the best thing about one-way hikes is that you can make them as short as your heart desires. Beginning at the Alpine Visitor Center, which sits at a lofty 11,796 feet, this trail winds along moderately graded tundra slopes and offers awesome views of the Never Summer Mountain Range. Hike it in the morning to avoid the dangerous afternoon lightning storms鈥攎y partner and I once had to jam to find shelter on a too thrilling post-lunch trek.

Sequoia National Park, California

Trail name:

Distance: 2.8 miles

If you鈥檙e in Sequoia and planning on visiting the , which is the largest by volume on earth), I heartily recommend extending your forest-bathing stroll to include the Congress Trail. A mostly flat lollipop loop, it passes the enormous trees within the Giant Forest. Best of all? A few hundred feet past General Sherman, you鈥檒l escape the lion鈥檚 share of the crowds.

Virgin Islands National Park, St. John

Trail name:

Distance: 2.7 miles

Though this trail starts from an unassuming trailhead, right behind the park鈥檚 Cruz Bay Visitor Center, it quickly redeems itself with incredible views of aquamarine water, following a brief climb to 160-foot-high Lind Point. From there, you鈥檒l curve through the lush, humid forest and switchback down, down, down to Salomon Beach, which has all the tropical beauty of nearby Honeymoon Beach鈥攂ut none of the crowds.

Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming

Trail name:

Distance: 3.5 miles

After taking obligatory pictures of the and its roaring waterfall, I made a random left turn onto an uncrowded trail and quickly uncovered one of my favorite hikes in the National Park System. This trip out to Point Sublime showcases the churning Yellowstone River, hundreds of feet below, while following a forested edge of the canyon whose crimson-and-marigold-colored slopes plunge toward the current for the entirety of the hike.

Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming

Trail name:

Distance: 1.5 miles

This is the trail that most people think of when they picture Yellowstone鈥檚 most famous attraction, Old Faithful, with that meandering boardwalk stretching far beyond it. And, to be honest, it鈥檚 pretty darn incredible in person. Cross the Firehole River, and check out one of the world鈥檚 largest assortments of hydrothermal features on this flat, wheelchair-accessible loop. Be sure to download the app, which offers info on the predicted eruption times. My personal favorite geyser is Castle, which gushes up to 75 feet high and for as long as 20 minutes.

Yosemite National Park, California

Trail name:

Distance: 4.4 miles

Sure, this trek might not routinely crack the top ten听Yosemite trail listicles, but it鈥檚 the first place I take my friends who have never been to the park before. You鈥檒l set off from the iconic Glacier Point viewing area and then enjoy second-to-none panoramas of Half Dome, Liberty Cap, and 594-foot-high Nevada Fall for nearly the entirety of the hike. It鈥檚 also an ideal way to remove yourself from the Glacier Point parking-lot crowds and fully immerse yourself in the surrounds.

Zion National Park, Utah

Trail name:

Distance:听1 mile

Move over, Angel鈥檚 Landing. In terms of low-effort, high-reward hikes, this is easily the best one in Zion. Park near the Zion鈥揗ount Carmel Tunnel, on the less traveled eastern side of the park; from there this path climbs 163 feet, past vermillion layer-cake-like hoodoos and scrubby pin帽on pines. My favorite part is the turnaround point: you鈥檙e greeted with jaw-dropping views of the craggy Temples and Towers of the Virgin, sandstone monoliths that appear on park postcards. Keep your eyes peeled for bighorn sheep.

Emily Pennington is a freelance writer based in Boulder, Colorado. Her book came out in 2023. This year she鈥檚 tackling loads of short hikes in the Rocky Mountains to get ready for a trip to remote East Greenland.

The post 25 Easy, Scenic National-Park Hikes Under 5 Miles appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

Terlingua, Texas, doesn鈥檛 have a lot of people. The tiny settlement (population 100ish) is literally a ghost town, where a handful of homes and businesses mingle with a cemetery and the stone ruins of a late 1800s mining camp. It鈥檚 dusty, hot as hell, and about 240 miles to the nearest Whole Foods. And yet, I fell in love with Terlingua on my听 first visit. The locals were friendly, the beer was cold, the food was good, and the place is just eight miles from Big Bend National Park, which protects a million acres of desert, mountains, and the Rio Grande. Add in the mountain biking at Big Bend Ranch State Park and the incredibly dark, starry sky that blankets the whole area every night, and you have a fantastic gateway town.

Terlingua isn鈥檛 the only burg with an ideal mix of charm, culture, and adventure. Below I鈥檝e picked my favorite gateway towns in the U.S. Some are well-known destinations, while others still qualify as sleepy, but they all sit next to world-class national parks.

Bryson City, North Carolina

More than 12 million people visit Great Smoky Mountains National Park every year, and most of them access it on the west side through Gatlinburg, Tennessee. But Bryson City (pop.: 1,500), on the eastern North Carolina side of the park, offers a mellow experience void of water parks and mega resorts, in a less-busy corner of GSMNP. The serene Lake Fontana and the trails that extend from its shoreline sit right out the small city鈥檚 back door.

国产吃瓜黑料 Inside the Park: The majority of the north shore of Fontana Lake is inaccessible by car, making for a peaceful experience. The 33-mile point-to-point traces the edge of the lake, delivering hikers to isolated backcountry campsites, waterfalls, and fly fishing on streams that rush to join the reservoir.

国产吃瓜黑料 国产吃瓜黑料 the Park: The Nantahala River is 20 minutes south of town, offering a popular class III run loaded with wave trains and views of the narrow Nantahala Gorge. Rent duckies and rafts from (from $39). Mountain bikers, head to in Nantahala National Forest, with 40 miles of flowy singletrack and the occasional view of Lake Fontana.

Where to Eat: Bryson City鈥檚 food scene has blossomed in recent years. I like The Rice Wagon, which serves Hawaiian-inspired dishes outside the Mountain Layers brewery every day. Get the Kalua pork with rice and macaroni salad.

Where to Stay: There are a few inexpensive motels on the outskirts of town, but your best bet is to find a tucked into the woods surrounding Bryson City.

Where to Get Gear: has hiking gear as well as a taproom with local beer. They also run shuttles for hikers exploring the North Carolina side of the park and Nantahala National Forest.

Jackson, Wyoming

It would be an egregious oversight to leave out Jackson, so I鈥檓 not going to fight it. The outpost receives plenty of attention, but consider the bonafides: This cute-rustic Wild West town sits at the base of the Tetons, with Grand Teton National Park so close that you can ride your bike to it via a multi-use path. Yellowstone National Park is just 2.5 hours away, and Jackson Hole Mountain Resort is 20 minutes north, while the local fave, Snow King Resort, drops right into downtown.

国产吃瓜黑料 Inside Grand Teton National Park: Wake up early and get after the 20-mile long , which traverses two canyons, passes two backcountry lakes (Lake Solitude and Holly Lake) and delivers views of Mount Moran, Mount Woodring, and Rockchuck Peak from the top of 10,700-foot Paintbrush Divide.

国产吃瓜黑料 国产吃瓜黑料 Grand Teton National Park: Raft the Snake River Canyon, stacked with eight miles of Class I to III rapids and scenery that oscillates between sheer gray rock walls and gentler slopes peppered with stands of evergreens. runs half-day trips from $105 a person. Or ride the six-mile section of the Jackson Hole Multi-Use Pathway that runs through the , where elk, bison, and wolves roam through expansive grasslands.

Where to Eat: Creekside Market and Deli has fresh grab-and-go sandwiches and boozy slushies that hit the spot on a hot afternoon. If you鈥檙e looking for an upscale dinner, has French-inspired dishes like cassoulet and mussels and fries.

Where to Stay: Rooms in Jackson can get pricey, but the is a refurbished motor lodge with tons of outdoor space, including a swimming pool, with large rooms from $271 a night.

Where to Get Gear: has bike rentals (from $55), and has hiking and climbing gear, if you’ve forgotten anything.

Grand Lake, Colorado

Estes Park soaks up most of the attention (and visitors), but the town of Grand Lake (pop.: 410) sits on the quieter western side of Rocky Mountain National Park, boasting Gold Rush charm with a fraction of the crowds. The Grand Lake Boardwalk, built in the early 1880s, connects shops and restaurants, while the 400-foot-deep Grand Lake borders town, with a public beach just a block from downtown.

国产吃瓜黑料 Inside the Park: The backcountry lakes on the east side of the park are packed, but Lake Verna, a 34-acre pool at 10,200 feet in elevation, flies under the radar. Hike 6.6 miles on the , passing through aspens and pines while looking for moose and elk in East Meadow, a grassy field bisected by East Inlet Creek. The lake itself is known to be home to a healthy, and hungry, population of brook trout, if you want to bring a fly rod.

国产吃瓜黑料 国产吃瓜黑料 the Park: Grab a paddleboard from ($30 an hour) and paddle the canal that connects the windier Grand Lake to Shadow Mountain Reservoir, a 1,346-acre lake that鈥檚 more protected and user friendly for paddleboarders. The 10,000-foot Shadow Mountain dominates the east side of the lake.

Where to Eat: Casual steak houses and BBQ joints have long been the mainstay in Grand Lake, but One Love Rum Kitchen is spicing things up with Caribbean fare and classic, rum-based 鈥渂oat drinks.鈥� Get the coconut rum chicken and wash it down with the Painkiller cocktail.

Where to Stay: sits on the border of Rocky Mountain National Park, with a large deck overlooking Grand Lake and Shadow Mountain and Mount Craig. Snag one of their recently renovated cabins, the originals of which were ordered from the Sears and Roebuck catalog more than 100 years ago, back when you could buy DIY home kits from the department-store catalog (from $164 a night).

Where to Get Gear: has everything from paddleboards to puffies (and SUP pumps if you forget yours), as well as rentals like bear canisters and kid carriers.

Bar Harbor, Maine

Can someone even separate Bar Harbor and Acadia National Park? The town of 5,000, which sits on the eastern edge of Mount Desert Island, is flanked by Frenchman Bay on one side and Acadia (New England鈥檚 only national park) on the other, with trails leaving directly from downtown. Yachts and lobster boats speckle the harbor on one side of town, while rolling mountains dominated by hardwoods rise on the other. In between is a vibrant downtown full of lobster shacks and boutique shops.

国产吃瓜黑料 Inside the Park: You can鈥檛 visit Acadia without climbing the , which rises more than 1,000 feet in just under a mile up the side of Champlain Mountain. It鈥檚 a full-contact adventure as you scramble over boulders and ascend a series of iron rungs and ladders up the granite face of Champlain. From the top, you can see all of Frenchman Bay below.

国产吃瓜黑料 国产吃瓜黑料 the Park: Kayak the Porcupines, a chain of four islands in Frenchman Bay, for the beauty and a chance to see seals in the water and bald eagles nesting in the trees. runs half-day trips with beach-combing breaks on the islands (from $67 per person).

Where to Eat: Seafood is it. Lobster rolls are ubiquitous, but start with the one at , which is served with mayo on a grilled brioche bun.

Where to Stay: blends high-end safari tents with an airy lodge complete with local taps and an onsite outfitter service. There鈥檚 plenty of lawn space for games and a pool, too (from $339 a night).

Where to Gear Up: , in the heart of Bar Harbor, has kayaking, hiking, and limbing gear if you need to pick up last-minute equipment.

Terlingua, Texas

There鈥檚 Texas, there鈥檚 West Texas, and then there鈥檚 Far West Texas, a region tucked between the Chisos Mountains and the Rio Grande that is so remote, it makes Montana feel like the suburbs. Terlingua (Pop.: 110ish), is the unofficial capital of Far West Texas, but don鈥檛 expect a lot of hustle and bustle. The roads are mostly dirt, and the town is as much historic mining ruins as active businesses. But you鈥檒l find a bike shop, nice people, and a vibrant food scene, all sandwiched between Big Bend National Park and Big Bend Ranch State Park.

国产吃瓜黑料 Inside the Park: Hike the , which is short (just 1.6 miles round trip) but delivers you to the edge of the Rio Grande, where the canyon鈥檚 walls rise 1,500 feet above the water. After the hike, drive to the , where you can soak in a 105-degree pool, still right next to the Rio Grande.

国产吃瓜黑料 国产吃瓜黑料 the Park: Big Bend Ranch State Park has more than 200 miles of singletrack and dirt road open for mountain biking. Pack plenty of water (remember: at least two liters per person), start out at dawn to avoid the heat of the day, and pedal the 57-mile , which will take you through slopes of sparkling crystals to the edge of a real-life oasis, with a small waterfall dropping into a tight gorge with a pool big enough for plunging.

Where to Eat: A food-truck scene has popped up in recent years, so there are more options in Terlingua than ever before. Or head to Long Draw Pizza for the Terlingua Spur pie, which is part fajitas/part pizza. Get a six-pack of beer from the Terlingua Trading Company, and sit on its front porch mingling with locals and tourists alike. The Starlight has excellent food, live music, and history: for years this restaurant had no roof, hence the name.

Where to Stay: The last time I was in Terlingua, I pitched a tent near the historic cemetery among the mining ruins in the middle of town. These days you can rent a 鈥淏ubble鈥� from , with see-through walls and its own hot tub (from $299 a night). They have nice campsites (from $45 a night) and tear-drop-shaped Lotus tents, too (from $129 a night).

Where to Get Gear: offers bikes, gear, and guided adventures all over the Big Bend region.

Port Angeles, Washington

Sandwiched between the Salish Sea and the million-acre Olympic National Park, Port Angeles (pop.: 20,000) is part harbor town and part mountain town, offering the best of both worlds. The Olympic Mountains rise to 5,000 feet from the edge of one side of town, while you can see Canada, less than 20 miles across the Strait of Juan de Fuca, on the other. The place has attracted boat builders, commercial fishermen, and mountain bikers and surfers alike. From downtown, you can catch a ferry to Canada, or hop on the 60-mile and pedal or run a piece of it (or all of it) through听 Olympic National Park.

国产吃瓜黑料 Inside the Park: Go deep into Olympic by backpacking a 37-mile out and back on the to Blue Glacier, through a rainforest thick with old growth that rises from a floor of moss and ferns. The hike culminates in a view of the 1.7-square-mile Blue Glacier, its crevasse-cut expanse dominating a valley between gray-rock peaks on the edge of the white-capped Mount Olympus.

国产吃瓜黑料 国产吃瓜黑料 the Park: Kayaking the Strait of Juan de Fuca is a veritable safari, as you鈥檙e looking for bald eagles flying above and harbor seals in the calm water surrounding you. Kayakers often see river otters, as well as colorful starfish that cling to the rocky coast. runs regular half-day trips (starting at $89 per person)

Where to Eat: Next Door Gastropub is a staple of the community. Get the fish and chips with Alaskan cod, or the poutine with a fried egg. Or both.

Where to Stay: The is a replica of the first president鈥檚 home, Mount Vernon, built on a lavender farm overlooking the strait. Classic bed-and-breakfast hospitality meets one of the best views on the Olympic Peninsula (from $360 a night, breakfast included).

Where to Get Gear: has everything from climbing gear to local guidebooks. And yes, bikes and kayaks, plus tubes, pumps, paddles, PFDs鈥nd all the little things you might鈥檝e forgotten from home.

Copper Harbor, Michigan

Isle Royale National Park is not easy to get to. The park is made up of more than 450 islands in the middle of Lake Superior, hours from the mainland. You can catch a three-hour ferry ride from Copper Harbor, located on the edge of Michigan鈥檚 Keweenaw Peninsula, but you might not want to leave Copper Harbor, as it has one of the most vibrant mountain-bike scenes in the Midwest, not to mention welcoming Upper Peninsula hospitality.

国产吃瓜黑料 Inside the Park: Because of the three-hour ($160 per adult, round trip), Isle Royale isn鈥檛 a 鈥渄ay trip鈥� kind of place. Try to book a room at (from $245 a night) and spend a couple of days exploring the island. You can rent canoes from Rock Harbor Marina (from $23 for a half day) and paddle some of the fjord-like inlets along the coast of the island. On land, hike the four-mile , which forms a lollipop loop near Rock Harbor and is packed with epic views of Lake Superior and the rocky shoreline of the island.

国产吃瓜黑料 国产吃瓜黑料 the Park: Don鈥檛 come to Copper Harbor without a mountain bike. More than of purpose-built trail covers this nook of the Keweenaw Peninsula, offering a smorgasbord of backcountry bliss, tech features, and rhythmic undulations. The three-mile delivers on the name鈥檚 promise.

Where to Eat: Harbor Haus offers German-inspired upscale fare with killer views of the lake. The whitefish is pulled fresh from the water you鈥檙e staring at from your table.

Where to Stay: has motel rooms and cabins two blocks from Lake Superior (from $105 a night).

Where to Get Gear: has bikes (rentals from $40) and kayaks, tours, shuttles, and more.

Whitefish, Montana

Is Whitefish a ski town or a gateway town? Both. Sure, Whitefish Mountain Resort rises from the edge of downtown, but Glacier National Park is just 27 miles away. Hell, nestled up against the 3,300-acre body of water of the same name, Whitefish is also a lake town with its own community beach. Oh, and it鈥檚 a progressive trail town as the community works to complete the 55-mile Whitefish Trail, a multi-use singletrack path connecting Whitefish proper with area lakes, rivers, and recreation areas.

Best 国产吃瓜黑料 Inside the Park: Hike the , which might be the quintessential Glacier Experience. The 12-mile point-to-point trek traverses the western flank of Continental Divide, following cliffs with the aid of cables, passing through meadows where mountain goats and bighorn sheep may appear, and offering views deep into the park.

Best 国产吃瓜黑料 国产吃瓜黑料 the Park: Pedal the . When finished, the WT will form a 55-plus-mile loop around the community, but you don鈥檛 have to wait; there are 47 miles of singletrack on the ground now. Or head straight to , where 15 miles of singletrack are loaded with the wooden features made popular by bike parks on the North Shore of Vancouver.

Where to Eat: Bonsai Brewing Company has a knack for IPAs as well as hearty rice bowls. Get the Bowlin鈥� Out, with pickled veggies and hummus. On Thursdays, local DJs show up to spin their own collections of vinyl.

Where to Stay: The has lodge rooms, cabins, and campsites directly on the Whitefish Trail, also a wood-fired sauna, not to mention shuttles and rentals (from $50 a night).

Where to Get Gear: has gear for every adventure sport under the sun, as well as rentals and tours.

Fayetteville, West Virginia

This former mining town has been reborn as an adventure hub with quick access to world-class rock climbing and whitewater rafting inside the New River Gorge. The New River Gorge was named America鈥檚 63^rd national park in only 2020, proof that this area and its deep, rugged canyon are truly amazing. The town of 2,800 isn鈥檛 much bigger than the historic square where you鈥檒l find the majority of shops and restaurants. But just past the edge of town, the earth drops 1,000 feet to the bottom of the river thanks to millions of years of erosion, turning Fayetteville鈥檚 backyard into a playground for hikers, climbers, and boaters.

Best 国产吃瓜黑料 Inside the Park:听 At just 70,000 acres, the New River Gorge National Park isn鈥檛 big, relatively speaking. But the adventure is stout. Raft the 12 miles of the Lower New to see the gorge in all its glory as you try to stay in the boat while navigating big water, class IV and V waves.

Best 国产吃瓜黑料 国产吃瓜黑料 of the Park: Just north of Fayetteville, Summersville Lake has 2,700 acres of aqua-blue water surrounded by sandstone cliffs, making it a hubbub of people paddling, swimming, and jumping from rocks into the water. offers full-day paddleboard adventures on the lake that take in the most scenic cliffs and waterfalls (from $120 per person).

Where to Eat: Pies and Pints is a cornerstone of Fayetteville. The pizzas range from traditional to weird (the Brunch Pie has scrambled eggs), but they鈥檙e always good. The selection of beer is unrivaled in the area, too.

Where to Stay: has campsites, primitive cabins, and deluxe homes situated on the edge of the canyon on an expansive property with its own restaurants, pool, and trail system (campsites from $39 a night).

Where to Get Gear: has hiking and climbing gear, as well as the local beta you need to make the most of your time in the gorge.

Graham Averill is 国产吃瓜黑料 magazine鈥檚 national parks columnist. He appreciates a good gateway town, but has never actually lived within shouting distance of a national park. If he had to choose one of the towns listed above to call home, it might be Port Angeles, Washington. Still his favorite is Terlingua.

For more by this author:

The 8 Most Adventurous States in America. Number 1 Is 鈥�

And the 11 Least Visited National Parks Are鈥�

11 Remote Destinations That Are Definitely Worth the Effort to Visit

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As someone who鈥檚 visited all 63 national parks and counting, I鈥檝e seen the good, the bad, and the (sometimes very) ugly that can come from having and not having timed entry reservations at the most popular natural landmarks. Hour-long waits to get into Joshua Tree, bumper-to-bumper traffic in Yosemite Valley, bear jams in Yellowstone, full parking lots at 8 A.M. in Glacier鈥搚ou name it, I鈥檝e been stuck in it.

Not everyone is stoked on timed-entry reservations and additional permits as the solution, but the stark reality is that our country鈥檚 national parks are reaching a tipping point, in terms of visitation. Something needs to change, if we鈥檙e intent on preserving the pristine wilderness experience that the parks were founded on.

Great Smoky Mountains hit in 2021, and 2023 was the year of all time for Yellowstone. In August, the Department of the Interior announced that park visitor spending hit a new record of , supporting roughly 380,000 jobs.

Unfortunately, stats like these also mean that last-minute trips, at least to the most popular national parks, are a thing of yesteryear. Timed-entry reservation systems have become par for the course at four parks in particular: Arches, Yosemite, Glacier, and Rocky Mountain. Several other parks, including Zion and Acadia, are maintaining years-long reservation systems for popular hikes and sunrise vistas.

Now, the big question: Are timed-entry reservations systems here to stay? The short answer is, maybe.

Though companies in Moab have reported losing business since installation of a timed-entry program in Arches (the resort manager at Red Cliffs Lodge told the that the hotel lost over 2,000 bookings in 2022, the first year of the reservation system), the Moab City Council in November publicly voiced its support of a .

Rocky Mountain, which through December 14 for four proposals on how best to manage overcrowding in the coming years, may be facing a similar scenario. The proposed options range from returning to pre-2020 management practices, in which no entry reservations would exist, to requiring timed-entry reservations for both the park and the Bear Lake Road Corridor, which serves as a gateway to its most popular trails.

In mid-December Yosemite launched a similar , in which the park is assessing entrance data and asking for public comment. The plan comes after a , at the end of which the park brought back reservations after dropping them for the year, but then experiencing crowding. In 2024, the park is bringing back a 鈥淧eak Hours Plus鈥� reservation system. Less stringent than those of the past, it will allow 20 percent more people into the park than in 2022, when roughly 3.7 million visited.

Likewise, Glacier officials report that the park will from 2023 for vehicle reservations on the roadways of Many Glacier, North Fork, and Going-to-the-Sun, the most scenic route in the park.

Though the timed-entry permit systems have been controversial among travelers, public lands officials have lauded them. 鈥淲e applaud the National Park Service for advancing its bold and creative actions to protect natural and cultural resources and preserve high-quality visitor experiences,鈥� Cassidy Jones, Senior Visitation Program Manager for the National Parks Conservation Association, She cited at Arches and Glacier as proving that 鈥渞eservation systems are working and largely welcomed by visitors.鈥�

*Since this article was published on January 2, Mount Rainier National Park has implemented a new timed-entry reservation system for vehicles entering the park鈥檚 popular Paradise Corridor and Sunrise Corridor. See details below. We will update this story as we hear more timed-entry news.

Which National Parks Will Require Reservations in 2024?

Mount Rainier National Park, Washington

鈥� For the first time ever, Mount Rainier will implement a pilot timed-entry reservation system for vehicles entering the park鈥檚 popular Paradise Corridor (from both the Nisqually and Stevens Canyon Entrances) and Sunrise Corridor (from the White River Entrance). Timed-entry permits will be valid for one day, for one vehicle and its occupants.
鈥� These new restrictions will be in place from 7 A.M. to 3 P.M. for both areas. The Paradise Corridor reservations will be required from May 24 through September 2, and the Sunrise reservations will be needed July 3 through September 2.
鈥� Visitors with a camping, lodging, or wilderness permit will not need this additional timed-entry reservation, but those with hotel and campground reservations will not be permitted to enter until 1 P.M. on the day of their first night.
鈥� Planning a last-minute getaway? The park is open 24/7 and guests are welcome to enter before 7 A.M. or after 3 P.M. Next-day entry reservations will also be available, beginning at 7 P.M. Pacific Time, from May 24 (for the Paradise Corridor) and July 3 (for the Sunrise Corridor), on a daily rolling basis.
鈥� In the area and don鈥檛 have an entry permit? Brave the bumpy road to the park鈥檚 Mowich Lake area and hike to Spray Park for soul-stirring views of Mount Rainier, or enter near the Ohanapecosh Campground and hike the moderate Silver Falls Loop to witness a powerful, forested cascade.

Arches National Park, Utah

• Arches will maintain the same parameters of its 2023 pilot program in 2024, with needed from April 1 through October 31, 2024. This system will help eliminate long lines stretching from Moab towards the park gates.
• Entry permits will not be required for visitors who already have camping, backpacking, Fiery Furnace, or commercial tour bookings, so entering with a guide is a great option if you鈥檙e planning a last-minute vacay.
• Visitors will be able to book reservations on a first-come, first-served basis through beginning at 8 A.M. MT on January 2, 2024.
• Reservations will be released three months in advance, on a rolling basis. For example, on January 2^nd, all reservations for the month of April will open up. On February 1^st, all reservations for May will open up.
• Last minute next-day reservations will be available at 7 P.M. MT, starting on March 31, 2024, on a daily rolling basis.

Glacier National Park, Montana

• From May 24 through September 8, 2024, at Glacier will be required on the west side of Going-to-the-Sun Road and North Fork, from 6 A.M. to 3 P.M. Pro tip: if you鈥檙e entering via North Fork, grab a huckleberry bear claw from the historic Polebridge Mercantile.
• From July 1 through September 8, 2024, reservations will be required for Many Glacier, one of the most stunning sections of the park, from 6 A.M. to 3 P.M.
• Visitors with camping, lodging, or commercial-activity bookings (such as boat rides and guided tours) will not need an additional timed-entry ticket.
• Beginning on January 24, 2024, a portion of vehicle reservations will become available 120 days in advance, on a daily rolling basis.
• Next-day reservations will be available at 7 P.M. MT, starting on May 23, 2024, on a daily rolling basis.
• In accordance with the American Indian Religious Freedom Act of 1978, vehicle reservations are not required for tribal members throughout the park.

Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado

• Rocky Mountain will require timed-entry in 2024, with a Bear Lake Corridor permit window from May 24 through October 20 (for those entering between 5 A.M. and 6 P.M. MT), and a 鈥渞est of the park鈥� permit window from May 24 through October 15 (for those entering between 9 A.M. and 2 P.M. MT). In my experience, some of the best 鈥渓ow effort, high reward鈥� hikes are found in the Bear Lake area, so nabbing a permit early is well worth the effort.
• Reservations will be available roughly one month in advance, on a one-month rolling window. For example, on June 1, all reservations for the month of July will become available.
• The park will also reserve 40 percent of timed-entry permits for next-day reservations, which can be booked starting at 7 P.M. MT on May 23, on a daily rolling basis.

Yosemite National Park, California

• After dropping entry permits for 2023, but then experiencing significant backups, Yosemite is modifying and bringing back a 鈥淧eak Hours Plus鈥� in spring, summer, and fall from 5 A.M. to 4 P.M. Reservations will be required on weekends from April 13 to June 30 and seven days a week from July 1 to August 16. From August 17 to October 27, weekend reservations will also be required. Each reservation is valid for three days after the date of entry.
• Most Peak Hours Plus reservations go on sale at 8 A.M. Pacific Time on January 5, 2024. Additional reservations will become available seven days before the arrival date (for example, book on July 20 for a July 27 entry).
• The park is also bringing back reservations for its February 鈥淔irefall鈥� weekends, when the angle of the setting sun lights up Horsetail Fall, with entry permits required February 10 to 11, 17 to 19, and 24 to 25. Regular weekday visitors will not need a permit. Reservations for all three weekends opened at 8 A.M. PT on December 1, 2023.

• During all reservation windows, visitors entering with a tour group or on a public bus and those with in-park camping or lodging reservations will not need the additional entry reservation. Similarly, those with wilderness or Half Dome permits will not need an additional entry reservation.
• Fifty percent of the available reservations will be released two days prior to a day-use reservation date for last-minute travelers. For example, at 8 A.M. on February 8, reservations for February 10 will become available.

Haleakala National Park, Hawaii

• As in years past, Haleakala, where seeing the sunrise from the top of the dormant volcano is a visitor tradition, will require sunrise vehicle for year-round visitors entering from 3 A.M. to 7 A.M.
• Limited entry reservations will be available two days in advance of a visit, beginning at 7 A.M. HST, on a two-day rolling basis. If you can鈥檛 score a sunrise permit, don鈥檛 fret. I went at sunset and was just as wowed.

Zion National Park, Utah

• In 2024, Zion will continue its pilot lottery to hike Angels Landing, five miles up and back on switchbacks to a famous viewpoint. Beginning two months in advance of an intended hike date, the lottery will open for hikers hoping to tackle this iconic trail.
• A next-day permit lottery will also be available for last-minute hiker hopefuls, opening at 12:01 A.M. and closing at 3 P.M. MT on a daily rolling basis. Winners will be emailed at 4 P.M. MT if they have received a permit.
• It costs $6 to apply for an Angels Landing permit, plus $3 per person once the permit is confirmed. Make sure your entire group has zero fear of heights before hopping on the trail. When I hiked Angels Landing, we nearly had to turn back when one of my friends had a mild freakout at Scout Lookout.

Great Smoky Mountains National Park, North Carolina and Tennessee

• As in 2023, Great Smoky Mountains will require that visitors purchase a daily, weekly, or annual if they wish to park anywhere within the park鈥檚 boundaries for more than 15 minutes. No advance reservations are needed for parking locations, once the tag is bought and displayed.
• Parking tags at a variety of visitor centers and automated kiosks, as well as online. Daily tags are $5, weekly tags are $10, and annual tags are $40.

Shenandoah National Park, Virginia

• Shenandoah is expected to renew its Old Rag Mountain day-use from March 1 through November 30, 2024. This system is generally considered a good thing, because, in years past, hikers needed to arrive around 6 A.M. to nab one of the coveted spaces.
• A total of 400 tickets will be released 30 days in advance of the reservation date, and the remaining 400 tickets will be released five days before a given reservation date. Tickets go on sale at 10 A.M. EST and cost $1 per person.

Acadia National Park, Maine

• In 2024, Acadia will require vehicle for Cadillac Summit Road, three miles to the top of the highest peak in the park and an island-studded ocean view.. The exact dates of the reservation program have not been announced yet, but in 2023, the park required permits from May 24 through October 22.
• The park will offer two different types of vehicle reservations for this storied byway鈥揝unrise and Daytime鈥搘ith the start times varying by month, depending on the forecasted sunrise time.
• During the summer and early fall months, 30 percent of reservations are made available 90 days in advance of a reservation date. Seventy percent of the reservations are available for last-minute purchase at 10 A.M. ET two days in advance of the reservation date.

Want more of 翱耻迟蝉颈诲别鈥檚 award-winning travel coverage? .

Emily Pennington is a journalist specializing in the national parks, a longtime 国产吃瓜黑料 contributor, and the author of the memoir See an excerpt here. She has visited all 63 of our national parks and is currently expanding her horizons to journey to international parks, too.

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Years ago, my wife and I took a month-long road trip with our four-year-old twins to hit a handful of national parks between Colorado and California. We rolled up to the first stop, Rocky Mountain National Park, with no campsite reservation but hearts full of optimism. Surely there would be a last-minute cancellation, and we鈥檇 be able to pitch our tent with a view of the famous 14er Long鈥檚 Peak.

No such luck. We settled for a site at a nearby Jellystone RV Park, amid a fleet of RVs. It was fine鈥攖here was a putt-putt course that my kids thought was awesome鈥攂ut it wasn鈥檛 the national-park camping experience we envisioned. We repeated this process across the American West, settling for lesser digs outside of parks because someone (me) didn鈥檛 make reservations ahead of time.

The moral of this story? If you want to camp in our national parks, plan ahead, now more than ever. Camping is only getting more popular, with more than 13 million overnight stays in 2022, almost a million more than the previous year, according to National Park Service data.

Don鈥檛 panic. Most National Park Service campgrounds can be reserved six months in advance on a rolling basis through the site Recreation.gov. That means if you want to camp in our parks this summer, start planning now and make your reservations this winter.

With personal experience and intel from , we’ve compiled a list of the most notoriously hard-to-book campsites in the NPS and explained exactly how to score the best sites in 2024.

1. Slough Creek Campground: Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming

Slough Creek Campground is one of the most coveted campgrounds in the entire national-park system, booked in full 100 percent of the season, according to the recent report by The Dyrt. Blame the perfect combination of remoteness and natural beauty; this small campground sits on the edge of Slough Creek in Yellowstone National Park, in a meadow at 6,250 feet, surrounded by evergreens and with the peaks of the Northern Range rising on the horizon. It’s primitive, with vault toilets and no showers. Its proximity to the Lamar Valley makes it a hotbed of wildlife activity; bison may cruise by the campground.

Size: 16 sites for tents and small RVs (no hookups)

Season: Slough Creek is typically open for reservations from the end of June to the beginning of October. It was open from June 23 to October 8 last year.

Reserve: on a rolling basis. First opportunity will be at the end of January.

Fee: $20 per night

Best Site: There isn鈥檛 a bad site in the entire campground, and most sites will have you sleeping close to the river. Site 1 has the most privacy, while sites 5, 6 and 7 will have you pitching a tent just above the river.

Awesome 国产吃瓜黑料: Bring your fly rod and cast for cutthroat trout in Slough Creek, which is one of the most beloved trout fishing destinations in the country.

2. Signal Mountain Campground: Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming

All of Grand Teton National Park’s campgrounds require reservations, and they all fill up fast. Signal Mountain Campground sits in the heart of the park close to some of the area鈥檚 signature adventures, with spots for both RVs and tents, making it popular with families, retirees, and hardcore adventurers alike.. It also has sites that are tucked into tall lodgepole pine forests, and others with views of Jackson Lake, Mount Moran, and the Teton Range.

Size: 81 sites, tents and RVs

Season: From Memorial Day (May 27) through Columbus Day (October 14).

Reserve: Make up to six months in advance on a rolling basis. First opportunity is December 27.

Fee: $54 per night for a tent site

Best Site: Site 15, off Loop 1, has great views of Jackson Lake.

Awesome 国产吃瓜黑料: Hike the six-mile Signal Mountain Trail, which starts at the campground and climbs up the side of 7,727-foot Signal Mountain, offering views of the lake below.

3. Fruita Campground: Capitol Reef National Park, Utah

Capitol Reef National Park gets less attention than Utah鈥檚 other national parks, but Fruita Campground stays booked 97 percent of the time. We know why: this is your chance to stay in an actual oasis. While the rest of Capitol Reef is known for its desert landscape and sandstone features, the sites in Fruita are surrounded by grass and vibrant fruit trees (peaches, pears, apples, and apricots) planted by pioneers in the 1880s. You can pick ripe fruit in season from any tree with a 鈥淯-pick鈥� sign on it ($2 per pound). You鈥檒l also have great views of towering sandstone canyon walls and easy access to the Fremont River.

Size: 65 sites, tents and RVs

Season: Open for reservations March 1 to October 31, then first come/first serve November 1 to February 28.

Reserve: . That means Nov. 1 for a March 1 campsite, and so on. This one opens earlier than many other campgrounds, so keep that in mind.

Fee: $25 per night

Best Site: Sites 31, 33, and 36 back up to the Chestnut Orchard, which has pears and multiple varieties of apples.

Best 国产吃瓜黑料: From the campground, hike the three-mile out-and-back , which climbs up the Waterpocket Fold into the mouth of Cohab Canyon.

4. Pi帽on Flats Campground: Great Sand Dunes National Park, Colorado

Great Sand Dunes National Park is a cool destination no matter what time of year you show up, and Pi帽on Flats puts you on the edge of this natural phenomenon, with impeccable views of the 700-foot dunes. The campground is especially popular during the annual peak flow of in early summer (typically starting in late May), when snowmelt fills the creek basin, creating a temporary tubing run with wave surges tubers can ride. Even aside from this seasonal adventure, Pinon Flats Campground offers a majestic overnight, with some sites shaded by juniper trees and others offering incredible views of the dunes rolling toward the Sangre De Cristo Mountains. There are no RV hookups, but the place has potable water, dishwashing stations, and flush toilets. (No showers.)

Size: 88 sites; tents and small RVs

Season: Pinon Flats is open April through October

Reserve: on a rolling basis. First opportunity to reserve a site is Nov. 11.

Fee: $20 a night

Best Site: Loop 1 has the best views of the dunes. Site 38 is a great van site with shade from adjacent juniper trees, and site 26 offers the same for tent campers.

Awesome 国产吃瓜黑料: Hike the straight from the campground heading towards High Dune, the tallest on the horizon, for a 2.5-mile out-and-back with a stop to cool off at Medano Creek.

5. Lower Pines Campground: Yosemite National Park, California

Lower Pines Campground puts you in the middle of Yosemite Valley, within walking distance of the stores and services in Curry Village. It鈥檚 smaller than the other campgrounds in Yosemite National Park and has incredible views of El Capitan and Half Dome. Many sites are also tucked into the ponderosa pine forest and are more spacious than other campsites in the valley, offering a good sense of privacy.

Size: 73 sites, tents and RVs

Season: Typically open from mid-April to late October

Reserve: open for the entire month, five months in advance on the 15^th of each month at 7 A.M. Pacific time. Confused? For a reservation during Memorial Day (or any time from May 15 to June 14), you need to be ready to book a site at 7 A.M. on January 15.

Fee: $36 per night.

Best Site: They鈥檙e all good, but 37, 38, and 39 back up to the Merced River.

Awesome 国产吃瓜黑料: You鈥檙e gonna spend most of your time hiking Yosemite鈥檚 big attractions, but set aside a morning for biking the on a paved bike path that cruises by your campground and offers crazy-good views of the Valley鈥檚 waterfalls and monoliths.

6. Kalaloch Campground: Olympic National Park, Washington

Situated on the southwest corner of the Olympic Peninsula, Kalaloch Campground in Olympic National Park has sites on a bluff听 40 feet above the beach overlooking the Pacific Ocean. A trail leads from the campground to the beach below. The lush coastal forest surrounding the campground gives you the sense that you鈥檙e camping on the planet of Endor with the Ewoks.

Size: 160 sites; tents and small RVs (no hookups)

Season: Open for reservations May 23 to Sept. 23

Reserve: for sites on the A and B loops. The C and D loop campsites will be available for reservation four weeks in advance, and the E and F loop sites will be available for reservation four days in advance.

Fee: $24 per site

Best Site: A18 and A25 will get you right on the edge of the bluff, with broad views of the ocean.

Awesome 国产吃瓜黑料: Obviously, you鈥檙e going to hit the beach, but bring your gravel or mountain bike to ride the 25-mile , a double and singletrack loop built with bikers in mind. The trail cruises the forest around Lake Crescent.

7. Watchman Campground: Zion National Park, Utah

The smaller South Campground actually edges out Watchman for being the most popular inside Zion National Park, but South鈥檚 reservations open up 14 days in advance鈥攊f that is what you want, you have a while to book those sites. Beware, though, that South is undergoing some rehabilitation this summer that will limit its number of available spots, which may bring you back to Watchman Campground. The campground sits near the park鈥檚 south entrance, within walking distance of the restaurants and shops in Springdale. It鈥檚 surrounded by airy sandstone walls and tucked against the Virgin River.

Size: 179 sites; tents and RVs with hookups

Season: Year round

Reserve: Grab a spot for May 24 on November听 24 at 10 A.M. EST.

Fee: $30

Best Site: Grab a spot in the F loop, which offers quiet walk-to sites with shade thanks to pergolas (wooden shades) and the occasional cottonwood tree.

Awesome 国产吃瓜黑料: Pick up the three-mile out-and-back right from the campground, and hike to an overlook with views of some of Zion鈥檚 most prominent sandstone features, including the Watchman, Temples and Towers, and Lower Zion Canyon.

8. Duck Harbor Campground: Acadia National Park, Maine

A site in 础肠补诲颈补鈥檚 might be the toughest National Park reservation to score. The small campground is located on the rocky Isle au Haut, off the coast of Maine and only accessible by boat. The Park Service manages half of the island, while the other half is set aside for a permanent fishing village. Not only is the scene picturesque, with rugged bluffs, primitive coastline, and healthy evergreen forests, but there are only five sites, which brings the laws of scarcity into play. All the sites have three-sided lean-tos and fire rings and are tucked into an evergreen forest overlooking Duck Harbor.

Size: 5 lean-to sites

Season: May 15 to October 15

Reserve: All sites throughout the season can be at 10 A.M. Eastern.

Fee: $20 per night

Best Site: When a campground has only five sites, snagging anything of them is huge, so don鈥檛 be picky. But site 5 has quick access to the shoreline and good views of the harbor.

Awesome 国产吃瓜黑料: Bring your mountain bike to pedal on the 12 miles of paved and unpaved roads traversing the island. You鈥檒l also find 18 miles of hiking trails that access rocky shoreline, bogs, and a freshwater lake.

Graham Averill, 国产吃瓜黑料 magazine鈥檚 national parks columnist, has been camping since he was a baby, when his family would take weekend trips into Georgia鈥檚 Chattahoochee National Forest. As an adult with his own family, he is still learning a few campcraft lessons, such as not to set out on a parks road trip without making site reservations.

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The post How to Score the Best National Park Campsites for Summer appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

Any number of concerns are on our radar as we plan our next trip, from serious issues like how destinations are working to mitigate tourists鈥� environmental impact to inconveniences like months-long passport wait times. In this column, our travel expert addresses your questions about how to navigate the world.听

I don鈥檛 like to leave my dog behind when I travel鈥攁nd in fact I often have a better time when I do bring him鈥� but people give me the stink eye when I show up places with my dog. What are the most dog-friendly places in the U.S. to travel to, specifically campgrounds, parks and recreation areas, beaches, and hotels? 鈥擠oggie Devoted

It鈥檚 true that just because you like to get outdoors regularly with your dog, not every setting is the right place for one. Years ago near Utah鈥檚 Bryce Canyon National Park, a friend and I were returning to our nearby lodge from a hike when we spotted Alfie鈥攁 Chihuahua mix whose yapping had been keeping us up at night. He鈥檇 escaped from his room and was sprinting as fast as his little legs could carry him across the sagebrush-dotted terrain.

We heard a frantic shriek鈥斺€淎lfieeeee!鈥濃€攁nd looked up to see a middle-aged woman, leash in hand, racing after him. Behind her, an older, heavyset man struggled along, gasping, 鈥淪ylvia!鈥� (presumably the dog owner鈥檚 name). Minutes later a golf cart manned by two lodge employees (one driving, the other wielding a fishing net) zoomed past. We laughed, finding the entire scenario comical, until I noticed the massive hawk flying directly above a clueless Alfie.

We watched in horror as the bird swooped down, grasped the tiny pet in its paws, and disappeared behind large rock spires. The woman collapsed in a heap. We stood speechless. Later that evening I naively remarked to an employee how I imagined that kind of incident to be a rare occurrence.

He quickly corrected me, confiding, 鈥淲e call those toy dogs bird food around here.鈥�

You may not like leaving your dog behind on any of your outdoor adventures. But you should consider whether your destination is suitable for your pup, what dangers could threaten him, and how to protect him from harm. I’ve found a great app that offers feedback from thousands of dog owners, and I’ve talked to several experts and regular adventurers who travel with their dogs, for a roundup of some of the best places (and ways) for you to explore the great outdoors with your furry best friend this summer.

Dog-Friendly Parks, Campgrounds, and Beaches

A park may seem like a natural place to have Fido tag along this summer, but not all parks welcome four-leg adventurers. The National Park Service in particular has strict rules about where pets allowed to roam in the parks. For some owners, these restrictions are too limiting.听国产吃瓜黑料 correspondent Wes Siler听has three very large dogs and finds the national parks so restrictive that he skips visiting them with his dogs altogether, preferring to take them camping on Bureau of Land Management areas or at national-forest sites where they can run off-leash.

But if national parks are where you鈥檙e headed, first refer to this 国产吃瓜黑料 story, which ranks all of them and provides details about which trails they can use, where they can swim, and many other considerations.

Acadia National Park, in Maine, is arguably America鈥檚 most canine-friendly park. Its website clearly denotes which trails have terrain unsuitable for dogs, and it provides valuable reminders like carrying enough water and checking your pet for ticks. This national park is also only one of three鈥攊ncluding Zion in Utah and Yosemite in California鈥攖o implement a BARK Rangers program: pick up an activity checklist at a ranger station, and if your dog follows all of the BARK rules (Bag your poop, Always wear a leash, Respect wildlife, and Know where to go), it can be sworn in as a ranger. (Yes, proud owners can buy a 鈥淏ark Ranger鈥� collar tag for their animal.)

BringFido, a free pet-travel app and website, is another invaluable resource. According to its more than 1.2 million users, Acadia, Shenandoah (in Virginia), New River Gorge (West Virginia), and White Sands (New Mexico) are the highest ranked national parks of its users. BringFido鈥檚 map feature allows you to easily perform a search for dog-friendly parks across the country, and its content includes rankings and pet-owner feedback; for example, commentary on Shenandoah notes that non-rock-savvy pups may have trouble on the Rose River Falls hike, while messages about White Sands remark on the lack of shady trails.

When it comes to state parks, dog-friendliness varies, too. Lauren Barker, BringFido鈥檚 senior content editor, says that Colorado鈥檚 Chatfield and Cherry Creek State Parks (both in the greater Denver area) earn high marks for multi-acre fenced dog parks and ponds where animals can swim. Other popular picks are Niquette Bay State Park in Colchester, Vermont, and Hueston Woods State Park, northwest of Cincinnati, both have dog-friendly swimming holes perfect for a post-hike dip.

Want to pitch a tent and stay at a park with your dog? Avoid state parks in New Hampshire, says Jeremy Puglisi. The co-author of Where Should We Camp Next? and cohost of the podcast Campground of the Week has found the Granite State鈥檚 campgrounds to be notoriously unfriendly to dog owners. Instead, his top recommendation is the North-South Lake Campground in New York鈥檚 Catskills Forest Preserve; it allows dogs on its nearly 2,000 miles of trails, and the campground has 219 pet-friendly tent and trailer sites, two lakes, and two beaches that accommodate them.

BringFido鈥檚 top dog-friendly campground rankings include Emerald Glen Getaway, in Morris, New York; Four Paws Kingdom Campground, in Rutherfordton, North Carolina; and Lake George RV Park, in Lake George, New York. Each caters to canine campers with amenities like dog parks, dog-wash stations, and even agility equipment. 鈥淥f course, KOAs are always a fan favorite, with their KampK9 dog parks,鈥� shares Barker (who, like Siler, prefers camping on BLM land with her dogs).

If you鈥檙e looking to hit the sand and surf this summer, some of the best dog-friendly beaches in the U.S., according to BringFido, are Florida鈥檚 Fort DeSoto Dog Beach Park, on the Gulf in St. Petersburg, and Jupiter Beach, in the Atlantic Coast town of Jupiter; Southern California鈥檚 Huntington Dog Beach, Coronado Beach, and Rosie鈥檚 Dog Beach; and New Jersey鈥檚 Wildwood Dog Park and Beach. And if you haven’t already, check out this recent听国产吃瓜黑料 list of 11 other dog-friendly beaches from coast to coast.

Tips for Finding the Best Hound-Friendly Hotels

Many hotels nowadays tout their dog-friendliness, but this is another case where BringFido has its advantages. Its filters can help you find just what you鈥檙e looking for, everything from properties that welcome multiple pets, to those that permit dogs above 50 pounds, to lodges that don鈥檛 tack on a pet fee. The app also shares details like whether certain hotels allow dogs to be left in a room unattended, if there鈥檚 greenspace on-site, and whether it offers thoughtful amenities such as a water bowl or chew toy.

According to Barker, Canopy by Hilton, Kimpton, and Loews consistently get high scores from BringFido users. Kimpton鈥檚 motto is: If your pet fits through the door, we’ll welcome them in. When traveling with his giant dogs, Siler seeks out that brand鈥檚 hotels. He鈥檚 also a fan of the Bunkhouse Hotel Group; in fact, he was married at its property in Todos Santos, Mexico鈥攖he Hotel San Crist贸bal Baja (where Teddy, Siler鈥檚 Kangal, is relaxing in the image above)鈥攁nd says staff happily accommodated his dogs, who were part of the ceremony.

Another standout is the Best Friends Roadhouse and Mercantile, in Kanab Utah. Conveniently located 30 minutes from the east entrance of Zion National Park, it鈥檚 a dog鈥檚 version of a five-star lodge. Dogs of all sizes stay free and are pampered to boot. Owners can expect complimentary access to pet-washing facilities, a fenced-in pet-park area with a splash zone, and grooming products, and guest rooms have built-in cubbies and beds for your pup, as well as a smart two-door entry system that ensures your dog won鈥檛 dart out of the room.

Smart Advice for Driving or Flying with Your Dog

Christine Sperber and her partner spent 15 years living between Breckenridge, Colorado, and Todos Santos, Mexico, regularly making the 1,860-mile commute with their four dogs (one a 90-pounder) in a converted van. The vehicle, which she refers to as the 鈥渄og transporter,鈥� is always stocked with poop bags and dog food, and they installed a battery-charged Maxxair fan to ensure their animals stay cool should they need to leave them inside while they run an errand.

Sperber says Facebook groups are a great forum for advice and intel on dog-friendly rest areas. When they road-trip, they typically leave early and map out stops that have shady places where their pups鈥� paws won鈥檛 burn. And she always has a close eye on her Chihuahua, particularly if she lets him out at night to do his business. 鈥淲e鈥檝e had a few close encounters with owls,鈥� she says.

翱耻迟蝉颈诲别鈥�s Wes Siler removed the back seats from his pickup truck so his dogs have extra space when they come along, and he installed a remote start so he can leave the A/C on with the doors locked if he needs to pop into a store. He notes that the more capable your vehicle is of handling all kinds of terrain, the farther away you can get from crowded front-country recreation and camping areas so your dogs can roam free. On road trips, he tries to stop at least once a day to give his dogs 15 minutes of off-leash time; he uses the to locate city dog parks.

You can also, of course, fly with your dog, though it can be pricey鈥攕hipping large dogs in a crate can cost upward of $500. You also must be savvy about changing regulations. After years of people trying to fly with their pets onboard, claiming them as emotional-support animals (a list that included everything from pigs to peacocks), the Department of Transportation cracked down. As of 2021, all major U.S. airlines have banned emotional-support animals on flights; the exception is service dogs.

Owners of dogs weighing less than 20 pounds can pay a fee to have their pet tag along in a carrier that fits beneath the seat. According to Barker, JetBlue gets some of the highest marks from BringFido users because owners are permitted to hold the carrier in their lap once the plane is in the air. Allegiant is also known as a popular budget airline that welcomes small pets in the cabin, she says.

For larger pets who do not meet the under-the-seat requirements,听鈥� PetEmbark program allows owners to ship pets up to 100 pounds via American Airlines Cargo as long as they鈥檙e not brachycephalic breeds (such as bulldogs and pugs). Owners receive tracking information so they can monitor their dog鈥檚 journey.

Be a Courteous Pet Owner

You probably think your pup is the most precious thing in the world, but not everyone likes furry faces. Don鈥檛 assume everyone is OK with your dog jumping or slobbering on them. And if your dog is friendly, don鈥檛 assume other dogs are, says Sperber.

All four of her dogs are rescues, and while they like people, they don鈥檛 like other dogs. 鈥淲e treat them like loaded weapons at all times,鈥� she says. Because she worries that other dog owners will permit their pets to get too close, Sperber keeps them off even mildly trafficked trails. 鈥淚 always want to be respectful of other people鈥檚 outdoor experiences, so we keep them on leash at all times and really try to find trails that are off-piste.鈥�

Basic pet-owner courtesy extends to not leaving your dog alone to howl in the hotel room all day while you go off to hike, not letting it wander off at a campground to chew other people鈥檚 gear or get into their cooler of food, and perhaps most important, always picking up their poop. (Here’s an article laying out the most eco-conscious ways to do that.)

Siler recalls watching horrified as a pug did his business on the poolside grass of the Kimpton Canary Hotel in Santa Barbara, California, while its owner just watched from their lounge chair. 鈥淚f it wasn鈥檛 a Kimpton, that dog would have been kicked out,鈥� he says. 鈥淭hat type of behavior is exactly why hotels don鈥檛 allow pets.鈥�

This poop etiquette extends to both front- and backcountry areas. Even when you鈥檙e out hiking with your dog, you must take the time to clean up your dog鈥檚 poop so it doesn鈥檛 contaminate groundwater or spread viruses to wildlife, Barker says.

If you want to avoid stink eye from fellow travelers this summer, be a responsible dog owner. Follow the rules of parks and outdoor recreation areas, and choose pet-friendly trails and beaches. It almost goes without saying that if you鈥檙e traveling with your dog, you鈥檙e thinking of his best interests, but it pays to be overly considerate and cautious鈥攊f you think your pooch will end up sitting in the car (a big no-no) or hotel room all day while you鈥檙e off adventuring, you should probably splurge on a pet sitter or kennel instead.

Have a question of your own? Drop us a line at Traveladvice@outsideinc.com.听听

国产吃瓜黑料 correspondent Jen Murphy is one of the most well-traveled people we know, and we鈥檝e long relied on her expert advice about awesome adventures and how to get there in a sane way.

The post Expert Advice on How to Travel with Your Dog appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

They say beauty is in the eye of the beholder. That is mostly true. Outdoor beauty, though, as found in nature, is far less subjective. I don鈥檛 think anyone has stood on the lip of the Grand Canyon, peering down 5,000 feet, and thought, Meh. With that sense of scientific objectivity in mind, I鈥檝e developed a list of the 11 most beautiful hikes in our national parks.

This list is about grand beauty鈥攈eart-stopping vistas and otherworldly landscapes that would make even the most jaded screen-ages look up from their phones and say, 鈥淐ool.鈥� I also considered geography diversity and a range of landscapes to highlight something for everyone. Same with difficulty鈥攜ou鈥檒l find short half-mile loops and full-day efforts.

I am 翱耻迟蝉颈诲别鈥檚 national parks columnist, fortunate enough to have hiked a number of these trails myself, and have dragged my kids to many. The rest of the trails haunt my bucket list for when the opportunities arise.

1. Sentinel Dome and Taft Point Loop, Yosemite National Park, California

Distance: 5.1-mile loop

I knew Yosemite National Park was gonna make this list because of the 1,200-square-mile park鈥檚 abundance of fertile valleys, dramatic waterfalls, and really big rocks. But choosing which ridiculously scenic hike to feature was agonizing. In theory, all of the best options look at the same stuff鈥擸osemite Valley and its granite towers鈥攕o I picked the hike with my favorite angle of that view. Tunnel View is probably the best-known vista, but it鈥檚 just a roadside overlook, so I nixed it. Half Dome is arguably the most coveted (and badass) hike and leads to banger views of Yosemite Valley. But you know what you can鈥檛 see from the top of Half Dome? Half Dome itself. So, ixnay.

Finally, I settled on the because it offers two grand but distinct views of Yosemite Valley on the same hike. I had the opportunity to include a piece of this hike during a multi-day backpacking trip through Yosemite and was awestruck. The summit on Sentinel Dome has 360-degree views of the entire park, including west where Half Dome and a large chunk of Yosemite Valley are displayed in all their glory. From the vertigo-inducing Taft Point, you鈥檒l see El Capitan and Yosemite Falls.

The hike itself is moderate, with the only steep section coming as you approach the summit of Sentinel. It鈥檚 less crowded than Glacier Point, too.

When to Go: This year late summer or early fall is best because Glacier Point Road is closed until July for snow plowing and road rehabilitation. If you鈥檙e dying to see these views before the road opens, you can hike the 12.9-mile (one way) Pohono Trail, which climbs to Glacier Point from the Tunnel View Parking Area. It鈥檚 a journey, and you鈥檒l get a series of breathtaking views of the Valley from Taft Point, Dewey Point, Crocker Point, Stanford Point, and Sentinel Dome.

Logistics: Yosemite is not requiring reservations to enter this summer, but you have to pay the park entrance fee ($35 per vehicle). The trailhead for this loop is off Glacier Point Road. Check the status of the road opening .

2. Precipice and North Ridge Trails, Acadia National Park, Maine

Distance: 3.2-mile loop

Do you want to walk along the wild Atlantic Ocean coastline, or take in the entire scene from above? That鈥檚 the question when visiting Acadia National Park. Ocean Path is the most popular trail, and some say the most scenic. This 2.5-mile romp along the edge of Mount Desert Island has you traversing the beaches and rock outcroppings that help define this national park. But I鈥檓 disqualifying it here because you can drive the Park Loop Road and catch most of the views from pullouts at overlooks.

Instead, climb the difficult to the top of Champlain Mountain for a bird鈥檚-eye view of the coastline, the Atlantic, and the many forested islands that rise from the water. It鈥檚 a burly hike, climbing 1,000 feet in just .9 miles, that will have you scaling the sides of granite cliffs using metal rungs. You鈥檒l get a variety of coastal views, and see the vast New England coastline from the top of the trail. Take the Champlain North Ridge Trail off the mountain and the views will continue.

When to Go: Summer is the most popular season, but show up in the fall, and the forest leading from the base of the mountain to the water鈥檚 edge will be aflame with red, orange, and yellow.

Logistics: Entrance fee is $35 per vehicle. If you鈥檙e planning to drive Cadillac Summit Road while visiting the park, make in advance.

3. Watchman Peak Trail, Crater Lake National Park, Oregon

Distance: 1.6 miles roundtrip

There isn鈥檛 a bad view anywhere from the rim of Crater Lake, a 2,000-foot-deep lake nestled inside the bowl of a volcano sitting 7,000 feet above sea level. It sounds like the setting for a diabolical mastermind鈥檚 secret base, but simply creates one of the most spectacular national parks in the country. The lake is considered among the most pure in the world, as the water is sourced completely from rain and snow.

The views from the edge of the volcano are one of a kind. is a little harder than 鈥渘ature walk鈥� territory鈥攊t gains 420 feet in under a mile to a historic fire lookout tower鈥攂ut it gets the same kind of volume of visitors as a paved overlook trail, and the view is why. This is one situation where the hike isn鈥檛 about the journey, only the destination, because at the crest of the trail you can see the entire lake from a stone platform below the woodend fire tower. The view encompasses Wizard Island, a smaller volcano set inside a larger volcano. If you want a good view with fewer neighbors along the way, hike the 3.7-mile round trip to Garfield Peak, which takes in most of the lake from a different angle. Bonus for the Garfield Peak hike: In the summer, the hillsides are blanketed in wildflowers.

When to Go: Crater Lake is covered in snow most of the year, so summer and early fall are your best bets. Sunset is stunning, but you definitely won鈥檛 have the view to yourself.

Logistics: You鈥檒l have to pay an entrance fee of $30 per vehicle. As of early summer 2023, portions of Rim Drive are still closed for snowplowing. The road is usually cleared by mid-July. Keep an eye on road conditions .

4. Bright Angel to Plateau Point Trail, Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona

Distance: 12 miles out and back

The Colorado River has carved out quite the ditch as it makes its way south across the Kaibab Plateau, and Grand Canyon National Park protects the most dramatic slice of the 277-mile-long gorge. Because this national park is so damn big, there are amazing views all over. The sights from various easy-to-access overlooks along the rim are awe-inspiring, but the views get even better, if that is possible, as you hike deeper into the gorge. A few trails drop off the rim, but for views, I like the . Based on the number of people who hike it every year, so does everyone else.

Don鈥檛 let the crowds dissuade you, though, as this hike is a life-changer, dropping 3,200 feet in six miles as it switchbacks down the side of the Grand Canyon. The views are fantastic the whole way, and you鈥檒l walk through the vibrant Havasupai Garden, an oasis that once supported a Native American population. It鈥檚 also quite the challenge; I hiked the full Bright Angel as an out and back in my early 20s and it鈥檚 still one of the toughest hikes I鈥檝e ever done. Most people make the full Bright Angel a multi-day hike, staying at either Havasupai Campground or Bright Angel Campground, but I wasn鈥檛 able to score a at the time.

The best vista is at Plateau Point on the edge of Tonto Plateau, roughly 2,000 feet above the Colorado River. Reach the overlook by taking a short spur trail at mile 4.5 and hiking the 1.5 miles for a front-and-center view of the inner gorge, as well as the aqua waters of the Colorado River, roughly 2,000 feet below.

When to Go: The South Rim is open year-round, but most agree spring and fall are the best time to visit because of milder temperatures. If you鈥檙e visiting in the summer, start your hike as early as possible to avoid the heat.

Logistics: You have to pay the entrance fee ($35 per vehicle). The hike begins at the Bright Angel Trailhead on the South Rim鈥檚 Desert View Drive. Bring more water than you think you鈥檒l need as the temperature will rise as you drop deeper into the canyon. Remember, the 6-mile way down to Plateau Point is easy, but the 6-mile climb back up to the rim is hard.

5. Forney Ridge Trail to Andrews Bald, Great Smoky Mountains, North Carolina and Tennessee

Distance: 3.6 mile out and back

Great Smoky Mountains National Park protects 500,000 acres of the Southern Appalachians along the North Carolina and Tennessee border. The terrain is a mix of pastoral valleys with historic homesteads and steep, rugged peaks rising to 6,000 feet above sea level. This region is a temperate rainforest, with a lush canopy and dense woods, so long-range views can be tough to find. That鈥檚 one of the reasons I love , which ends at Andrew鈥檚 Bald, a high-elevation pasture once used to graze livestock, giving the 5,906-foot mountain an above-treeline vibe. Hike Forney Ridge Trail from the Clingman鈥檚 Dome parking lot and you鈥檒l travel through a thick forest until reaching the bald proper, where several acres of tall grass offer long-range views of the southern mountains of the park and Fontana Lake. I鈥檝e hiked this trail a couple of times over the years and I鈥檓 always amazed to be the only person on the path. Clingman鈥檚 Dome can be a zoo of people, especially in the summer, but most of those people stick to the concrete lookout tower and never venture on the actual trails.

When to go: You can hike the Smokies year-round. In the winter you鈥檒l have the park more or less to yourself, and in the fall, the forest blazes with color. But knock out this hike in June and early July and you will find the Rhododendron and flame azaleas in full bloom.

Logistics: The hike begins at the parking lot for Clingman鈥檚 Dome, a concrete lookout you will want to spend a few minutes climbing. There鈥檚 no entry fee to enter Great Smoky Mountains National Park, but you have to purchase a parking tag ($5) to park at any trailhead.

6. High Dune, Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve, Colorado

Distance: 2.5 miles out and back

Great Sand Dunes National Park is wild, encompassing 30 square miles of off-white mounds of sand within the Rocky Mountains. These are the tallest dunes in North America, rising up to 741 feet. The sheer volume of sand here makes for other-worldly photo opportunities.

There are no established hiking trails throughout the dune field, but most visitors head towards , a 693-foot 鈥減eak鈥� on the first ridge beyond the main parking lot here). From the top of High Dune, you can see the rolling hills of sand spread across the landscape, all flanked by the 13,000-foot Sangre de Cristo Mountains. You might feel like you鈥檙e in a vast desert, but in the spring and early summer, the hike actually begins with a stream crossing, as Medano Creek runs wide and several inches deep with the snowmelt. Pack an innertube in your car. The crumbling sands send waves down the creek that you can tube, and access is a short walk from the parking lot.

When to Go: The dunes can be covered in snow in the winter, and the sand can get really hot in the summer. Spring and fall are your best bets, but if you do show up in the summer, cool off in Medano Creek.

Logistics: Entrance fee is $25 per vehicle. You can park near the visitor center.

7. Mesa Arch, Canyonlands National Park, Utah

Distance: .5-mile loop

I know, all the great sandstone arches are across the street in Arches National Park, right? Wrong. The 258,000-acre Canyonlands has plenty of fascinating sandstone features throughout, and while isn鈥檛 the largest natural bridge in the region (it鈥檚 27 feet across), it鈥檚 perched on the edge of a cliff, 1,200 feet above Buck Canyon. As a result, the natural bridge provides the perfect frame for peering into (and photographing) the belly of Canyonlands.

Looking through the arch, you can see Washer Woman and Monster Tower, two distinct Wingate formations that are popular with climbers, the White Rim Trail (a classic multi-day mountain-bike route), and off in the distance, the La Sal Mountains. The walk is an easy .5-mile lollipop loop, which makes it extremely popular, but also a great option if you鈥檙e toting along children. My wife and I took our twins on this hike when they were age four. They probably had more fun scrambling on the sandstone outcroppings that surround the trail, but Liz was pretty pleased with the family photos of us at the arch. So everyone wins.

When to Go: Any time is a good time to visit Canyonlands, but summer is hot and crowded, and winter can be snowy and empty. Spring and fall can offer ideal weather and fewer crowds. Regardless of the season, show up at sunrise, and the red cliffs below the arch practically glow as the sun hits the sandstone.

Logistics: Entrance fee is $30 per vehicle. While Arches has brought back timed-entry reservations, you don鈥檛 need them to visit Canyonlands. The Mesa Arch Trailhead is located in the Island in the Sky district, off Grand View Point Road.

8. Highline Trail, Glacier National Park, Montana

Distance: 12 miles, one way

Glacier National Park is packed with scenery. Hidden Lake might be one of the prettiest in the country, Going-to-the-Sun Road lives up to all the hype, and yes, as the park name suggests, there are glaciers too. Set in that context, at Glacier National Park makes our cut because of the accumulation: it鈥檚 not one vista that makes this trail so damn beautiful, it鈥檚 the collection.

The highlights start right out of the gate as you traverse along a narrow ledge half way up the side of a cliff, peer back over Going-to-the-Sun Road below, and catch long-range views of Mt. Cannon, Mt. Oberlin and Heavens Peak to the west. The next few miles deliver you into pocket forests and meadows full of wildflowers in the lush area known as the Garden Wall. The wildflowers are nice, but the views deep into the park are even better, and they just keep coming as you climb to Haystack Pass and begin your descent towards Granite Park Chalet, a backcountry lodge with its own views. Take the spur trail to Grinnell Glacier Overlook, and climb a mile to the Continental Divide to see the teal lake at the bottom of the Grinnell Glacier, where Grinnell Falls tumbles over a rock wall.

A forested bowl below the cirque surrounding Upper Grinnell Lake holds a series of alpine lakes. This is arguably the best view on the trail, and some would say in the park as a whole. Backtrack to the Highline Trail and it鈥檚 a mile to Granite Park Chalet, and then four miles through mostly forested terrain to the Loop, where you can take the free shuttle back to Logan Pass.

When to Go: Going-to-the-Sun Road is closed from October to early June, so you鈥檙e relegated to late summer and very early fall for this hike.

Logistics: Highline Trail starts at Logan Pass, off Going-to-the-Sun Road. This summer, you have to make advance to drive the road between 6 A.M. to 3 P.M. daily ($2). If you didn鈥檛 make a reservation four months in advance (when the majority are released), you can roll the dice and try for a slot 24 hours in advance. You鈥檒l also have to pay the entrance fee of $35.

9. Glacier Gorge Trail to Sky Pond, Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado

Distance: 8.5 miles out and back

Rocky Mountain National Park is full of high-elevation peaks and backcountry alpine lakes, and the 9.5-mile out and back to shows you a lot of both. There are more popular lake hikes in RMNP, and certainly easier lakes to reach, but the remoteness of Sky Pond is part of the draw, as is the water itself, mirroring the granite cirque that surrounds it.

On the hike, you will pass the 30-foot Alberta Falls as they drop through a gorge on Glacier Creek; then traverse the shores of Loch Vale, a small lake at 10,190 feet with views of 13,000-foot Taylor Peak and Taylor Glacier on the horizon; and end at Timberline Falls, rushing 100 feet over a granite cliff. Towards the end of the hike, a mandatory rock scramble leads you to the Lake of Glass, which sits beneath a trio of granite peaks (the Sharkstooth, Taylor Peak, and Powell Peak). You think you鈥檙e done, but you鈥檙e actually hiking to the even prettier lake, Sky Pond, on the other side of those peaks. Sky Pond is surrounded on three sides by sheer granite walls, which descend directly to the edge of the lake.

When to Go: Considering the elevation, summer or early fall is your window. It鈥檚 a long, difficult effort, so start early if you can.

Logistics: The hike starts at Glacier Gorge Trailhead on Bear Lake Road. Between May 26 and October 22, you have to ($2) to visit Bear Lake Road between 5 A.M. and 6 P.M., which will give you a two-hour window to enter the road. You鈥檒l also need to pay the $35 entrance fee to the park.

10. Harding Icefield Trail, Kenai Fjords National Park, Alaska

Distance: 8.2 miles out and back

There are glaciers, and then there鈥檚 the Harding Icefield, a frozen tundra that stretches for 700 square miles connecting 40 separate glaciers, which act as drains. This giant, changing ice cube is the central feature of Kenai Fjords National Park, and the largest icefield in the United States. Mountain peaks, called nunataks, rise from the ice. It鈥檚 a tough hike to reach the edge of the , climbing 3,000 feet in just over four miles, but the massive expanse of ice isn鈥檛 the only reason to tackle this journey.

The views throughout the trail are outstanding, from the cottonwood forests and meadows in the first portion of the adventure to the Cliffs Overlook at mile 2.4, which shows the Icefield above Exit Glacier. Even the view back towards the trailhead, where the wide Exit Creek bisects the green Outwash Plain, is stunning. Continue across patches of snow to the end of the trail at a rocky outcropping hovering over the edge of the Harding Icefield. A massive expanse of snow and nunataks, black against the white icefield, stretches towards the horizon.

When to Go: The upper portions of the trail can be covered in snow into July, so aim for late summer, and check before your hike.

Logistics: Park at the end of Herman Leirer Road, the only road in Kenai Fjords National Park. There鈥檚 a visitor鈥檚 center with restrooms at the parking lot. Entrance to the park is free.

11. Hole-In-the-Wall, Rialto Beach, Olympic National Park, Washington

Distance: 3.4 miles out and back

You want landscape diversity? Olympic National Park has landscape diversity. This million-acre park in Washington covers a variety of ecosystems, from glaciated peaks to lush rainforest to wild coastline. You can鈥檛 go wrong with any hike inside the park, but the coast, where Washington hits the Pacific Ocean in an abrupt line of rock and forest, is gorgeous. There are 70 miles of coastline to choose from, but I like the hike along to the Hole-in-the-Wall, a large sea stack just off the beach with a small arch forming in its flank.

The hike is a beach walk along a stretch of black sand peppered with big rocks and ghost-white driftwood. Start at Rialto Beach Trailhead, seeing forested islands off the coast to the south, and head north as sea stacks rise from the water beyond the breakers and an impossibly green forest edges the beach to your right. After two miles you鈥檒l hit Hole-in-the-Wall.

When to Go: Summer is your best bet if you鈥檙e looking for warm temps and the chance to get in the water (the ocean will still be cold, though). If you time your arrival for low tide, you can scramble up the sea stack and explore the small arch. There鈥檚 also a primitive trail that climbs an outcropping on the forest side of the beach, offering a panoramic view of the sea stack, beach and ocean to the south.

Logistics: Entrance to the park is $30 per vehicle. Park at the Rialto Beach Trailhead and walk north.

Graham Averill is 国产吃瓜黑料 magazine鈥檚 national parks columnist. In his early twenties, with no training and very little hiking experience, he thought it was a good idea to hike Bright Angel Trail down to the Colorado River and back on the same day. It wasn鈥檛.

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